OTIS Funding for a Research Assistant at Università della Svizzera italiana

OTIS, world leader in the elevator/lift and escalator industry, will provide funding for a research assistant at the Institute of Marketing and Communication Management of the USI Faculty of Communication Sciences.

The funding – named OTIS PhD Grant and spread over three years – will allow a young researcher to complete his/her doctoral thesis by using empirical data and case studies obtained through direct collaboration with OTIS. The young researcher will divide his/her time between the Università della Svizzera italiana (USI) and OTIS’ Swiss headquarters in Fribourg, where he/she will work on applied research.

Laurent Bruyère, CEO of OTIS Switzerland, is convinced that "the skills available at USI will enable us to develop communication specifically tailored to the Swiss market, which has the highest per capita density of elevators worldwide". Gian Anton Zardini, OTIS Switzerland Sales Manager, adds that "through this project we will benefit from USI’s ability to combine theoretical analysis with a pragmatic approach to finding the best solutions."

Francesco Lurati, who will be supervising the young researcher in his/her doctoral thesis work and the collaboration relationship with OTIS, points out that "OTIS is one of those innovative companies that maintains its leadership also through continuous interaction with research. To be able to contribute at these levels is very gratifying, as it offers us unique opportunities for research, which in our field must also be applied research."

The collaboration agreement was signed this morning at the Lugano Campus. OTIS was represented by its CEO Laurent Bruyère, its Sales Manager Gian Anton Zardini and Prof. Henry Peter, a Board member.

For USI, the participants were its President Piero Martinoli, the Dean of the Faculty of Communication Sciences Bertil Cottier, the Director of the Institute of Marketing and Communication Management Ivan Snehota, the professor of Corporate Communication Francesco Lurati and the USI Secretary General Albino Zgraggen.

Photos of the signing of the collaboration agreement can be downloaded from our site through the link www.copyrightfree.ch starting from 14:00 hours. As always, we are available to provide more information, and interviews can be arranged.