Centro Ricerche Fiat S.C.p.A. (CRF) was founded in 1976 as the Fiat Group’s major source of expertise in innovation, research and development. It was established as a Società Consortile per Azioni, a consortium, whose shareholders are Group companies. CRF’s objective is to use innovation as a strategic lever and to enhance the results of its work through the promotion, development and transfer of innovative content able to make products distinctive and competitive. It is therefore able to play an active role in the technological growth of the Fiat Group, its partners and the community in areas such as powertrain, in collaboration with Fiat Powertain Technologies, vehicles and components, safe and environmentally-friendly mobility, telematics, new materials and relative technologies, mechatronics and optics, energy.

Moreover, CRF is particularly active in the field of research into sustainable mobility, adopting a systematic approach to investigate innovative solutions which address all aspects of sustainability in transport which include reducing emissions and noise pollution through innovations on the powertrain, but also increasing fuel efficiency by reducing vehicle weight, improving the aerodynamics, optimising the different sub-systems, developing eco-compatible production processes, identifying ecological and recyclable materials, and using communications and info-mobility to help reduce traffic congestion. The aim is obtain vheicles safer, greener and more comfortable, where greener means ecological during the whole cycle of life: production, use, end of life.