University, Apple Developer Academy 2024-2025: Over 300 Students and 60 Apps Already on the Market

The Aula Magna of the University Campus of San Giovanni a Teduccio was packed yesterday for the graduation of young talents who have completed the course at the advanced training center that brings together the University of Naples Federico II and the Cupertino company.

Welcoming the students were Matteo Lorito, Rector of the University of Federico II, and Alisha Johnson Wilder, Senior Director Environment, Policy and Social Initiative Apple. Together with the Academy's Scientific Director Giorgio Ventre, the Campania Region's Councilor for Innovation Valeria Fascione, the Operations Director of the Apple Developer Academy, Simon Pietro Romano, and the Pier Program Manager Apple Developer Academy, Francini De Carvalho.

“Over 300 kids, a 9-year tradition that we can hardly get used to – underlined Rector Lorito -. Entering this classroom full of young people who come from different parts of the world, including Iran, Ukraine, working together, achieving goals together, giving life to their ideas, is beautiful. Apple continues to believe in us, we have renewed the contract further, we are strongly connected. The reality that exists in San Giovanni is particularly appreciated, let's not forget that the one with Apple is the first of our 16 Academies. It is the mother of all Academies”.

Space for projects, after the introductory speeches the stage welcomed some teams that presented the apps they had created. 'Ci Sta Bro' with its 'Blinko'. The team composed of a Mexican student, four Italians and an Indian, proposed an app that helps children aged 5 to 7 to familiarise themselves with a new language through exploration and play, recognising objects in the real world. Then it was the turn of 'Sobremesa', a group that saw four Italian students, a Mexican and an Australian work together, with 'Knot', which helps people who live far from their friends to maintain and strengthen their bond by creating shared images together. The 'SEQUOIA' team, composed of an Italian, three Mexicans, a Chinese and an American, presented 'Hear Me Out! – Party Game, team', an app that offers a fun and stimulating debate to resolve various well-known topics by offering a scoring system. Finally, 'VisionChilla', a group formed by two Italians and four Mexicans, showed the audience the potential of 'StomaDida', a visionOS and iPadOS app that helps people who are about to receive or have recently received a stoma to learn essential care techniques, practicing through a step-by-step simulator.

“We have realized that the Academy’s fame is really strong, we have exceeded 3000 requests to enroll in the next edition – declared Giorgio Ventre -. Students come from all over the world, this year we had a group of very good students who came from Mexico, Indonesia, Pakistan, and it is beautiful to see these guys who come from areas that are also in conflict with each other working together. They are a continuous lesson for all of us on how we should live on this earth. The novelty this year is the program for second-year students who have collaborated with researchers from Federico II and have worked on high-level training projects such as robotics, structural engineering and cardiology. There is also a great impact on the territory, the number of students who are interested in starting up a start-up is growing. I would like to underline that the support that Federico II gives us is fundamental, and so is that of the Region for scholarships.”.

“Today we celebrated the Graduation Day of the Apple Developer Academy in Naples, an event full of emotion that marks the end of an intense journey for many students from all over the world,” said Simon Pietro Romano, who during the ceremony presented the ARTE – Advanced Research Track Experience project, created last year with the aim of connecting Academy students with the world of academic research. “ARTE is the first structured experiment of collaboration between the Developer Academy and the research groups of the Federico II University,” he explained, “a project in which creativity, technology and research meet to produce concrete innovation. The teams involved worked on cutting-edge topics, such as robotics, civil engineering and medicine, contributing original solutions in the field of spatial computing. The result was surprising, both in terms of scientific impact and personal and professional growth for all participants. ARTE has shown how contamination between different worlds – industry, academia and education – can generate real value. And today, on the day of the celebration of our graduates, we are even more proud to have bet on this path'.

Alisha Johnson Wilder, Senior Director, Environment, Policy & Social Initiatives at Apple, spoke about the commitment, skills, and talent of the Academy's students, the quality of the work they produce, the opportunities the job market offers them for their preparation, and the Cupertino company's goal in particular with the training of young people at the Federico II facility.

'I want to congratulate the graduates on behalf of the entire Apple team. This is truly a special place, and it is the combination of many things that we want to represent here. For almost ten years this school has been an incredible partner for Apple and we have worked together to build an exceptional coding program here in Italy.

A student told me today that one of the coolest experiences has been seeing the different skills that each member of the team he is part of brings to the table. There are people with technical backgrounds, there are designers, there are writers, and all of that together broadens the perspectives and creates the beautiful products we saw on stage.

That’s what coding does, and that’s why Apple launched this program. It’s a universal language that can help create impactful solutions in our communities and around the world. No matter where or how you started on this journey, the experiences and skills you’ve gained over the past year are already opening up new avenues. They’re already creating new possibilities for your future,” said Apple’s Senior Director. “Technology is advancing faster than ever before. And that change presents a tremendous opportunity for each of you. And coding extends far beyond what most of you think of as technology. It’s in the music we play, the art we enjoy, the photos we take of our friends and loved ones, and so much more. And that means that with the skills you learn here at the Academy, there’s truly no limit to the impact you can have on the world. At Apple, we believe deeply in leaving the world better than we found it. We believe that technology can enrich people’s lives in extraordinary ways. And as graduates of this Academy, we believe that all of you have the power to imagine – and build – what’s next.’