Journey in the Italian maritime academy technologies (IMAT) of Castel Volturno in Naples, an international incubator of didactic excellence that every year turns out 15 thousand seafarers
boatThe competitiveness of the shipowning field passes through the competences of the seafarers. The rapid evolution of technologies, safety, security and environmental regulations makes it necessary to update knowledge and know-how more and more rapidly. In this context, there is a training structure in Italy that manages to combine a continuous update on new skills with the most advanced technologies in the field of training for the sector. We are talking about the Italian Maritime Academy Technologies (IMAT), the training center based in Pinetamare, a few kilometers from Naples.
The Academy is currently the first center for number of Italian seafarers trained (15 thousand a year) and is accredited by Maricogecap for all courses Standards of Training, certification and Watchkeeping for seafarers (STCW)by the Ministry of Health in agreement with the Hospital Company Cardarelli, for courses in the medical care and first aid, from the Ministry of Economic Development for the Global Maritime distress Safety System courses and from the Campania Region as training agency.
IMAT is a center of excellence to European level with 42 shipowning companies contracts for the training of the crews and has conventions with beyond 50 between associations, agencies, Institutes, Higher technical Institutes (ITS) and ITLN who carry out the programs of alternate school/job near the center of Castel Volturno. IMAT has succeeded in fact to move with success the paradigm of the formation from the marine to the companies, creating an Academy able to meet the requirements of all the fields, from the cruise to the offshore to the cargo to the dangerous goods, creating tailor-made training packages. The logistic part is managed with extreme care with a nautical college with 165 rooms, restaurant and free transfers between the airport and the central station of Naples.
The society in these years has invested huge resources for the purchase of systems of navigation simulation, radar, for the transport of dangerous goods and for systems of platforms and ships offshore positioned in 33 classrooms, in addition to having created a qualified technical group employing today about 120 staff including instructors, administration, hotel and maintenance services. True jewels of technology are the firefighting area, the most advanced in Europe, and the first platform for the management of the rescue boat – Proficiency in Survival Craft and Rescue Boats (PSCRB) and Fast Rescue Boat(FRB).
The philosophy of IMAT puts the maximum attention to the protection of the safety, the health of the marine one and the safeguard of the atmosphere. For this reason, the MAMS platform is located in a natural oasis whose waters are bathing and are monitored every six months with analyses carried out by the most important national research center and the fire field has obtained the Unique Environmental Authorization that ensures maximum control of emissions and safety. In the optical one of the specialization of the structures, on a wide field of 86 thousand square meters, IMAT is realizing for the cruises, an area of 20 thousand square meters dedicated to the training with a floating platform for ship’s simulacrum in which to carry out security training onboard. But the maximum attention is given to the new generations.In the optical of the integration of the chain education/training/IMAT job, besides to collaborate actively with the more qualified ITS and ITLN, it has constituted in 2014 an Institute Logistic Transports, Navigation that aim is to give a possibility to start the career of the sea for boys from the 14 to the 18 years, taking advantage of the high level of professionalism in the field of education and of all the high-tech facilities present in IMAT on which the young students practice starting from the first year of school.
The students are monitored by the companies and in 2020 they will graduate the first 20 cadets that will be started the career. Among the topics in the sector of new propellants on which IMAT has been working for four years, participating in the European project Gas Innovation Network (GAINN) for the implementation of the liquefied natural gas in the marine field dealing with the relative part to the definition of the criteria of assessment for the competences of seafarers. IMAT moreover is working actively on the territory with the institute Hotel Technical of Castel Volturno through the plan “Scuola Viva” for the creation of curved paths for the hotellerie of the shipping, also aimed at launching an overall project of economic and social regeneration.In the future of this structure, there is so much development and technology.Under contracts with several shipping companies, a business accelerator “is being developed, starting with a detailed survey of the needs of the sector, tested daily with the commanders and seafarers participating in the training and precise verification of the critical points.This centre will be able to develop prototyping systems based on existing technology to improve safety on board.The project, called IMAT Cube, draws on the expertise of universities and research centres.The coherent objective will be the birth of spin-off active on advanced services for the sector that could be incubated within the structure of IMAT creating a dynamic and interactive environment, in which to guarantee not only a physical place but a continuous relationship with the main national and international customers.
