The works for the SEW-EURODRIVE New Drive Technology Center - a leading German multinational company in industrial automation systems - in Borgo Panigale, in the Municipality of Bologna, are nearing completion. The new hub will accommodate research and development, production, logistics, assembly, service and office functions, in the heart of Italy’s Motor Valley and in a strategic position along the A14 motorway corridor.

With a total project value of approximately €20 million, the development involved the construction of a new building with an overall surface area of around 13,000 sqm. The complex is organized into two functional volumes: the production area, arranged on a single level with technical areas and support mezzanines, and the office area, distributed over three above-ground levels around the central triple-height hall.

The construction of the building was entrusted to the PRaCT Business Network — composed of Truzzi S.p.A., Proteo Engineering S.r.l., R.G.M. Elettrotecnica Industriale S.r.l., Corazza S.r.l., Ialc Serramenti S.r.l. and Imeco S.r.l. — with Bestmind supporting the integrated management of the construction phase under an EPCM contract.

• Planning & Cost Control, including activity planning, schedule monitoring and updating, project budget control, variance management and verification of work progress;
• Construction Management, including coordination of subcontractors, specialist contractors and suppliers, management of operational priorities and supervision of site activities;
• Interface Management, including coordination between civil works, structures, building services, façades, windows and doors, finishes and external works;
• Stakeholder Management, including operational coordination of relationships between the client, designers, Works Supervision, contractors and suppliers;
• Project Close-out, including supervision of final activities and support for building handover.

From an architectural standpoint, the building’s most distinctive feature is its façade, composed of 175 vertical fins that wrap the extensive glazed surface and define the elevation visible from the motorway. In addition to giving the building a strong identity, the system contributes to solar shading, combining the architectural quality of the envelope with the building’s energy performance. The roof also supports natural lighting within the production areas and allows for the integration of the photovoltaic system.

The building incorporates energy-efficiency-oriented solutions, including a photovoltaic system of 344.25 kWp and centralized mechanical systems serving both the office and production areas.

The project presented significant complexities, both in terms of managing interferences during specific construction phases — such as the execution of the façades in parallel with other external works — and in achieving the quality standards required by the client and the Works Supervision, which were particularly high compared with the average standards of industrial buildings.

A further element of complexity was the coordination of the six companies forming the PRaCT Network, particularly with regard to the integrated construction design process and schedule monitoring. The schedule was managed as a dynamic control tool and was subject to multiple revisions in order to ensure compliance with contractual deadlines.

The result was achieved through the continuous involvement of all stakeholders throughout the different stages of the process, with the aim of integrating the client’s requirements, the requests of the Works Supervision and the contractors’ operational activities. This approach represents one of the core principles of project management within an EPCM framework.