360 CARLA Experience “Innovating with Optical Systems” in collaboration with Optec

On 5 March 2026, Politecnico di Milano organized the 360 CARLA Experience Innovating with Optical Systems in collaboration with and hosted by Optec, an Italian company leader in the design, development, and production of advanced optical and optoelectronic systems.

The experience brought together twenty-one BSc, MSc and PhD students for an intensive visit to one of the two production plants of Optec. There, participants gained an insight into the day-to-day activity of the company. The visit included a tour of the optical testing laboratories and a networking session with Optec key-professional figures to better understand the carrier opportunities in the field.

The experience was very well received by participants, who appreciated the opportunity of understanding how their theoretical study would be transformed in their future professional career, as quoted by one attendee – “Optec was my first opportunity to see how the concepts I study are applied in the real world”. Participants also appreciated the possibility to understand a company’s structure, management practices, and strategic decision-making, “Gaining first-hand insights from corporate people is absolutely valuable…”, “I also gained insight into the company’s structure and management, market dynamics, bureaucratic processes, and the reasoning behind some strategic decisions”.

Overall, this 360 Carla Experience reinforced the importance of bridging academia and industry, guiding students toward a more informed and confident transition into their future careers.