Excellence – the key to performance
Interview with Stefano Cecconi, CEO of Aruba
Aruba – one of Europe’s primary providers of IT data-center and web hosting services – and Ducati have been racing together since 2015, demonstrating the power of collaboration in delivering better technology – and more thrills – on the track. ALTEN in Italy is Technical Sponsor of the Aruba Racing-Ducati team in the Superbike World Championship and also of the Aruba Cloud Team in the MotoE™ World Championship, focused on electric bikes. As the sole manufacturer of the electric bikes, Ducati promotes innovation in solar energy and mobile charging and is actively creating positive change in the motorcycle industry, significantly reducing emissions and contributing to global sustainability goals.
How did Aruba decide to embark on this adventure in motorcycle sports?
We entered the racing world as a means of promoting our services internationally. A large percentage of people who follow motorsports are also passionate about technology, and IT in particular.
How does Aruba contribute to the Superbike and MotoE teams? How does the contribution differ between them?
Electronics and information technology play an increasingly important role in our lives. Over the past few years, they have also become crucial in achieving maximum vehicle performance. Data analysis is the best way for teams and drivers to understand how they can improve, how they can aim for victory. Likewise, optimal calibration of the vehicle’s electronics ensures not only performance but also greater safety and control. These are indispensable factors since these vehicles have incredible power. Our contribution is to provide the technicians with the best technologies and support available, enabling them to do their work as quickly and reliably as possible, even in adverse conditions. In this sense, there are no big differences between MotoE and the superbikes – the needs of the team and riders are very similar, even if the vehicles are quite different from each other.
How do you see the relationship between technology and sports?
In motorsports, technology has always played a role that is almost as important as that of the driver. In fact, if the vehicle is not performing, if it is running poorly, there is little the driver can do. Similarly, a very good vehicle can’t aspire to victory without an equally good driver. In other sports the balance is different, but even in disciplines that until recently had no easily identifiable technological aspects, we are beginning to see increasingly relevant contributions. It may be in the form of external support for the application of rules (VAR, hawk-eye, etc.), or research and development on protective materials and devices (helmets, clothing) or things that help to improve performance, like running shoes. Technology and sports, in short, go hand in hand, even when it is not as directly visible as in vehicle development.
How has digital transformation affected motorcycle sports in terms of skills and possibilities?
Throughout the sports industry, and particularly in motor sports, digital transformation has allowed us to significantly increase the amount of data that can be collected and analyzed. This allows for a tremendous increase in the understanding of dynamics that can promote or prevent the achievement of maximum performance. For example, our teams now have a coach who lends not only psychological support and motivation. The coach is an analyst who, through the processing of videos collected from the sidelines and the detailed analysis of the course, is able to highlight where the rider or the bike gains or loses compared to the competitors – where there is a priority to intervene. A video with a “ghost” overlay of a faster rider gives a much quicker understanding of how the rider can improve, or how engineers can modify the bike. Doing all this faster than others can make the difference between winning or losing.
What challenges will the motorcycle industry face in the coming years and how will technology, and Aruba in particular, be supportive in overcoming them?
Research and development will enable ever better performance. So, perhaps one of the biggest challenges will be to maintain the highest possible degree of safety despite the increase in speed and power. Our role will always be to support this from the IT point of view, to support all the people involved in the project.
How do you choose your technical sponsors? What are the criteria for establishing this kind of partnership and what values should sponsors embody?
To achieve maximum results, it is essential to rely on partners who represent excellence in their field. All the companies that support us and share this adventure in motorsports have values similar to our own. Often, as is the case with ALTEN, we also collaborate in our core business, developing ever better technology and solutions for our customers.
