Fanuc: high-tech training at Didacta 2026

Fanuc, one of the leading players in industrial automation, in collaboration with Sanoma, one of the main publishing groups in the educational sector, will take part in Didacta Italia 2026, the event dedicated to innovation in education, scheduled in Florence from 11 to 13 March (Cavaniglia Pavilion, stand H38). Among the highlights is the new CNC Laboratory, designed to provide students from technical and vocational schools with practical skills in computer numerical control.
According to Unioncamere, the manufacturing and mechatronics sectors are struggling to find qualified personnel: nearly half of the required profiles remain unfilled, and in the manufacturing sector more than 6 out of 10 companies report difficulties in finding candidates. Over the next five years, the demand for specialised technicians is expected to range between 160,000 and 182,000 workers.
“We want students not only to learn, but to experience firsthand how the world of industrial production works,” says Mirko Cazzaniga, Education Business Developer at Fanuc Italia. “Our goal is to transform technical education into a concrete and engaging experience, showing that behind a robot or a CNC machine there are real opportunities to build a career.”

FANUC COMMITMENT

Fanuc is among the companies pioneering the creation of synergies between schools and industry. At Mecspe 2026, in the Mecspe Lab area, six students from the CNOS-FAP Salesian institute in Sesto San Giovanni operated a plastic injection moulding press programmed by themselves, demonstrating how practical skills can be integrated into training programmes. This laboratory allowed young participants to get closer to a strategic industrial sector, where plastics are becoming a key material in Italian mechanical districts.

Fanuc continues its commitment through events dedicated to promoting technical talent: 11–12 May 2026 – Fourth edition of the Fanuc Olympics, with students competing in robot and CNC programming; 22–27 September 2026 – Participation in WorldSkills Shanghai 2026 with the team of Italian finalists, accompanied by Fabrizio Fischetti, Senior Trainer Robotics at Fanuc Academy and Chief Expert WorldSkills.
At the Fanuc–Sanoma space at Didacta 2026 there will also be a classroom dedicated to teachers, with orientation sessions on robotics and CNC as well as presentations on opportunities offered by PNRR and PN 21–27 funding programmes. On Thursday 12 March, Mario Schember will be a guest, an expert consultant in school funding management, supporting teachers and school leaders in the design of educational laboratories.

LABORATORIES AND PROGRAMMES

FANUC and Sanoma have developed two training paths dedicated to students and teachers: Robotics and Automation Laboratory with Robotics Programming Certification: the synergy between the FANUC ER-4iA robotic cell and the ROBOGUIDE 3D simulation software, combined with a 40-hour theoretical and practical course, allows students to become robotics technicians specialised in the management, control and maintenance of industrial robots; CNC Laboratory: the integration between CNC Simulator — a compact device that replicates the operator panel of a CNC machine —, the CNC Guide software and a 40-hour asynchronous training course for teachers enables students to acquire practical skills in computer numerical control, preparing professionals ready to work directly on production lines.