Maserati opens the doors to its Innovation Lab

Maserati has opened the doors to the Maserati Innovation Lab, an exclusive and usually off-limits location.

The brand's engineering hub, inaugurated in September 2015 and located on via Emilia Ovest in Modena, is sharing for the first time with the outside world its fundamental role as Maserati's beating pulse, driving research technology, development and planning.

The Maserati Innovation Lab is a state-of-the-art facility where the cars of today and tomorrow are developed.

Here, the digital processes support product development, applying the exclusive Maserati formula which, by means of an integrated approach, prioritises the human factor right from the initial phases. Concern with customer needs has been scrupulously incorporated into the virtual simulation process thanks to an exclusive mix of hardware and software.

The digital processes supporting product development take place in three major areas: The Static Simulator, the latest generation Dynamic Simulator and the 'User eXperience' development labs.

The Static Simulator is the starting point for every experience in the Maserati realm of simulation. The system is composed of a cockpit, and three projectors with high computational power.

It is a simple system that helps engineers, from the very initial phase of the development process to obtain immediate feedback from the driver, and makes a major contribution to new model validation.

The Dynamic Simulator supports the Maserati engineers in the development of all the new models.

The Dynamic Simulator incorporates state-of-the-art technology and enables full exploitation of systems' integration thanks to the evolution of proprietary control strategies, cutting development times and costs. It also helps to reduce the number of prototypes and ensures that the virtual sign-off is very close to the final product.

The 'User eXperience' development labs are fundamental in the design of human-machine interfaces, one of the major challenges of the latest Maserati development projects. 

This development lab includes a section dedicated to vehicle ergonomics, enabling accurate reproduction of driving posture, visibility and interactions with the on-board controls and displays, and where the vehicle under development can be driven in any scenario with the utmost realism.

The Innovation Lab employs more than 1,500 technicians. Its headquarters in Via Emilia Ovest covers a total area of 33,744sqm.

More than 1,100 people carry out their activities, the majority of which are engineers, representing 17 different countries. The environment is comprised of a very young and dynamic workforce with an average age of around 37 years. Almost half of the employees are under 35 and 20% are under 30. The organisation has grown considerably in recent years, attracting top graduates from the best Italian universities, including those that collaborate with Maserati.