Living in Prato :
Education and welfare

University of Florence - PIN

An important reality of the territory

PIN - “Città di Prato” University Centre - is an important Prato institution, the innovative result of the goals and continued commitment of the University of Prato, the Municipality of Prato and other local actors. It operates on three fronts: organization of degree courses, applied research and higher education. In this sense it is a complete university centre, a small campus equipped with quality services, its own library, computer rooms, and laboratories in constant communication with the local area, with institutions, and with the world of work and business.
PIN - “Città di Prato” University Centre is a key partner of Prato's public and private companies and offers a portfolio of innovative services for improving business within the context of new technology and a new economy. Its 33 applied research laboratories achieve results of national and international importance that benefit the city's manufacturing industry and institutions.

Projects are commissioned by agencies, private companies, and public institutions, or funded through regional, national and European programmes. Research at the Centre involves many different fields: Environment, Art and Cultural Heritage, Design, Economy and Management, Information & Communication Technology, Applied Social Sciences, Industrial Technology and Logistics. Researchers are in constant communication with the local area and aim to transfer to industry and institutions the methods and technologies they use, as well as the results they achieve. Synergy and expertise are key strengths of the PIN Centre, and this is why its operational sectors are varied and multidisciplinary: projects, services and consultancy to promote technological potential and also to solve managerial or operational deficiencies.

The University Centre is undoubtedly the social, educational and scientific heart of the city, and a great opportunity of development for the whole local economy. In its 25-year educational role, the PIN Centre has succeeded in creating an innovative university environment open to dialogue with the community and its institutions.
The Pin Centre is also an educational agency accredited by Regione Toscana which has been providing professional training and higher education since it was founded in 1992. The training courses take place in the locations where the research and technological innovation are being developed and they are aimed at a diverse audience: students who wish to face the world of work with higher skills, as well as companies and agencies who want to meet their own professional needs.