"Ferrari’s major achievement has been to attract international talent and bring people together under the same roof to work for a great Italian marque, one of which we are proud. Even in our anthenaeum, one that stands out for its openness and international aspect, we work with extremely able people to realise highly complex projects". With these words, the Chancellor of the University of Trento, Davide Bassi, opened the MART at Rovereto in the Melotti Auditorium. There, an honorary degree in Materials Engineering was awarded to Rory Byrne, Ferrari’s Formula 1 head designer.

The new graduate Rory Byrne is one of the key figures at the scuderia and has made a great contribution to the success of the Italian marque in the automobile world. He accepted the degree with pride and satisfaction. "This is one of the best days of my life," he revealed to the journalists present at the ceremony. "It is one I will never forget. In the meeting with the students this morning I was able to appreciate how enthusiastically and passionately they support Ferrari and Formula 1. I would encourage them to approach this world with professionalism and competence through gaining experience in the materials engineering sector."

Upon receiving the award, Byrne added: "the collaboration between the teams, research institutes and universities is of vital importance for continued improvement in the automobile sector. In recent months Ferrari and the University of Trento have begun a promising collaboration. I think that we should deepen this relationship as it is mutually beneficial."

Innocenzo Cipolletta, President of the University of Trento, also took part in this afternoon’s ceremony at MART, one that witnessed the participation of the entire academic body. Lorenzo Dellai also appeared, flanked by representatives of local institutions from the world of culture, business and sport in Trentino. Ferrari’s Direttore Generale, Jean Todt, and members of the Scuderia Ferrari management team were also present. The crowds of Ferrari fans provided real atmosphere.

Rory Byrne is Head Designer of Formula 1 at Ferrari. He was born in Pretoria (South Africa) in 1944. He left Queens High School in Johannesburg in 1960 with top marks (merit) in mathematics and went on to graduate in Science with a speciality in chemistry and mathematics at the Witwatersrand University in 1964. Having worked for 25 years in designing Formula 1 engines, he moved to the Scuderia Ferrari in 1997 as Head Designer. The single-seaters designed by Rory Byrne have won 99 Grand Prixs and have been driven, among others, by three world champions: Ayrton Senna, Nelson Piquet and Michael Schumacher. Between 1999 and 2004 Rory Byrne’s Ferraris collected eleven world titles (six constructors' and five drivers').