Meet Eliana Frigerio, Chief of Engineering Software & IV for Hitachi Rail RCS in Italy. Eliana’s rich academic background in Information Technology is the foundation to her current role in senior leadership. Having studied the use of Artificial Intelligence to categorise gestures and movements, she has an excellent understanding of the R&D work behind payment and ticketing technology.
In a recent interview, she told us about her transition from academia to the professional environment. Read the following interview to find out about some of the great projects that she has been involved with during her Hitachi Rail career.
Eliana, what is your role at Hitachi Rail?
I oversee software development and testing teams for Hitachi Rail RCS in Italy. In addition to that, I take responsibility for coordinating my teams’ work in software development and all integration and validation activities for new solutions.
Why is it important that you keep track of your team’s work?
In my role, I have an awareness of all projects which give rise to new software. It is essential that I maintain visibility over my team’s collective expertise. My understanding of all the technology available has the power to increase the capacity of our offer to the customer. I can provide knowledge of the possible applications to develop, update, and improve.
My understanding of all available technology has the power to increase the capacity of our offer to the customer.
Eliana Frigerio
What did you study, Eliana?
I graduated in Telecommunications Engineering at the Polytechnic of Milan and specialised with a doctorate in Information Technology. The field was the study and recognition of human gestures and behaviors through video camera footage.
Studying gestures allows people to recognise actions, let's say, that are not permitted. Our research context was not only to typologize the gestures of prohibited actions but also involved a home security study.
I went on to study at Queen Mary University for a year, where I analyzed the behavior of bees. We studied bees and their movements to indicate the presence of food, the quantity and the directions to reach it.
What trajectory did your life take after study?
I left university because I wanted to prosaically see the results of what I was doing, which is possible in the professional setting. The academic world only allows this in part. I started working in a consulting firm, that is how I began my professional career in 2015. In 2022, I moved to Hitachi Rail.
Was it a significant transition in terms of working methods?
No, I have to say that I did not notice any difference in the transition. A little more and a little less in terms of culture, but my work continued in continuity. My responsibilities and my role in the company have developed over time.
Did your professional career drive you away from the study of images?
Not completely. At RCS we are starting to innovate with facial recognition, we are hoping to collaborate with local universities to develop it further.
Tell us about some of the key projects that have you worked on.
Two projects above all stand out for me, the electronic ticketing systems of Mexico City and Dakar. These are two extremely complex ticketing systems (for one reason or another, they all are). To me, what I enjoy most about my job is making sure that all the components of a system can talk to each other and coordinate. Having the management and visibility of this is fascinating.
How do you feel about being part of Hitachi Rail?
There are so many opportunities within Hitachi Rail; the company is a global leader in transport and has a strong presence in Italy. I am excited about my future in the company!
