5 questions to...
Domenico Murabito
Interview with the Mobility Director of Engineering.
Domenico Murabito joined Engineering in 2009, after building solid experience in companies’ digital transformation, working in international contexts and for firms such as Olivetti, Wang Global and Getronics, contributing to innovation and transformation projects in the ICT field.
Within the Engineering Group, over time he has held various roles of increasing responsibility across services, business development and customer management.
Since 2012 he has led the Automotive Sales Directorate and, since 2018, the Automotive Business Unit. As of January 2024, he leads the Mobility Business Unit, which brings together the Automotive, Transportation and Infrastructure sectors.
1. THE MOBILITY MARKET IS GOING THROUGH A PERIOD OF MAJOR TRANSFORMATION. WHAT ARE TODAY THE MAIN CHALLENGES THAT INDUSTRY PLAYERS MUST FACE IN AN ECOSYSTEM THAT IS INCREASINGLY CONNECTED, DIGITAL AND DATA-DRIVEN?
The mobility market is undergoing a deep transformation that does not concern a single area but unfolds across multiple dimensions at the same time. And it is precisely this simultaneity that represents the real challenge.
Players in the automotive ecosystem, for example, must contend with digital disintermediation driven by direct platforms and communication channels, the progressive compression of margins, and the entry of new operators adopting go-to-market models that are radically different from the past. The relationship with the end customer can no longer be taken for granted: it must be actively built, fueled by the smart use of data—behavioral, operational and contextual—and maintained over time through coherent, continuous and truly personalized experiences.
Those who manage critical infrastructure—such as motorways, airports or mobility payment systems—are required to modernize platforms and processes in contexts where downtime is simply not an option. This means evolving complex legacy ecosystems, addressing an ever-expanding ICT attack surface, and meeting increasingly demanding service levels.
In passenger transport, the challenge is cultural as well as technological: travelers do not distinguish between public and private operators, they do not tolerate information discontinuities, and they want a seamless experience from the beginning to the end of the journey.
The common thread is data, which has become the central strategic asset. But having data available, on its own, is not enough: real value comes from the ability to integrate it, govern it and turn it into operational and strategic decisions.
2. WE ARE MOVING FROM MOBILITY BASED ON INDIVIDUAL ASSETS TO INTEGRATED, MULTIMODAL MOBILITY. HOW IS THE WAY WE DESIGN AND GOVERN MOBILITY CHANGING IN THIS NEW SCENARIO?
The shift we are experiencing is from an asset-centered logic to an ecosystem logic. It may sound like a technical change, but it is primarily cultural and organizational.
In the automotive world, the vehicle no longer represents the end point of the relationship with the customer, but its starting point. The data generated during vehicle use — if properly collected, integrated and governed — makes it possible to build continuous value services: from predictive maintenance to personalized insurance products, up to contextual renewal offers. Value no longer lies in the asset itself, but in the service that develops around its use over time. Operators such as leasing and auto credit providers are already moving in this direction, integrating the financial dimension, services and data to propose mobility solutions that go far beyond simply financing a vehicle.
For those managing critical infrastructure, the change is just as profound. We move from reactive management of individual assets to predictive, systemic management of flows. The Digital Twin of a complex infrastructure is not only a monitoring tool, but an enabler to simulate scenarios, anticipate critical issues and optimize maintenance in an integrated, data-driven way.
In passenger transport, finally, integration means real interoperability: consistent information across all channels, continuity of the experience from booking to destination, and the ability to effectively manage exceptions when something does not go as planned.
The point where all these areas converge is the data platform: not a single system, but an enabling infrastructure that connects heterogeneous sources and powers operational and strategic decisions across the entire mobility value chain.
3. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IS RESHAPING PROCESSES AND SERVICE MODELS. HOW ARE TRADITIONAL AND GENERATIVE AI IMPACTING MOBILITY MARKETS?
In the mobility world, Artificial Intelligence is not a future promise: it is already in operation and generates concrete, measurable impacts.
“Traditional” AI — machine learning, predictive models, computer vision — has long been integrated into the sector’s core processes. It is used for demand forecasting, optimizing vehicle stocks, anomaly detection on infrastructure, and predictive fleet maintenance. In these areas, value is now well established: the question today is no longer whether it works, but how effectively it is used and scaled.
Generative AI, on the other hand, is opening a new phase, grafting onto already mature processes and amplifying their impact. In customer service, it enables advanced assistants able to handle complex requests and to operate integrated with existing operational systems. In support of sales networks, it can suggest the most effective commercial action at the right time, increasing the quality and consistency of interactions. In mobility-related financial services, it accelerates document production — contracts, regulatory reporting, communications — freeing up operational resources. Finally, in industrial contexts, it supports energy efficiency control of plants, assisting the Energy Manager with continuous optimization suggestions.
However, one fundamental point remains: AI creates value only if it rests on reliable, integrated and governed data. Without a solid data foundation, even the most advanced models risk remaining isolated experiments. At Engineering we address this by starting from data architecture: source integration, quality, security, governance and industrialization of AI pipelines. This end-to-end approach enables customers to move from adopting AI to truly capturing value in core processes.
4. IN A CONTEXT WHERE DATA, AI AND AUTOMATION BECOME CENTRAL, HOW ARE CUSTOMERS’ OPERATING MODELS CHANGING? AND WHICH SKILLS BECOME TRULY DECISIVE TO SUPPORT THEM IN TRANSFORMATION?
From our vantage point on the mobility-built by supporting customers and operators across the entire sector — we see operating models changing significantly, though not all at the same pace. And it is precisely this asymmetry that often represents the most complex challenge to manage.
In large automotive organizations, the deepest transformation is not technological, but cultural. The shift from a product-centric logic to a truly customer-centric logic implies rethinking KPIs, incentive systems and organizational structures. In this context, the most critical competency is not so much technical as managerial data literacy: the ability to interpret data, ask the right questions and make evidence-based decisions.
In sales and service networks, on the other hand, technology is often already present, following significant investments. The real challenge is adoption: insufficient training, processes not redesigned and resistance to change mean that the value remains on paper. Until the organization truly activates these tools, the potential will remain unexpressed.
For those who manage critical infrastructure, the rarest — and at the same time most strategic — skill is that of integration architects: professionals able to connect OT and IT, legacy systems and cloud, operational data and business data, ensuring operational continuity and security, with an ever-clearer focus on the end-user experience.
The common thread is clear: change management is not a project phase; it is the project itself. That is also why it becomes essential to rely on a partner who not only knows the technology, but understands processes and organizational roles, and is able to guide and govern change over time.
5. LOOKING TO THE FUTURE, WHAT DEVELOPMENTS DO YOU FORESEE IN THE MOBILITY SECTOR? AND WHAT OPPORTUNITIES OPEN UP FOR THOSE OPERATING ACROSS THE ENTIRE VALUE CHAIN?
Three developments now seem irreversible.
The first concerns the profound redefinition of sales and service networks in the automotive field. With the rise of direct digital sales and new distribution models, the physical dealership is being called upon to reinvent itself: no longer the place of transaction, but a space for experience and service. This is where a relationship born online is consolidated over time, through service quality, expertise and continuity. Those who can accompany and enable this transformation will play a central role in the supply chain in the coming years.
The second development concerns the smart monetization of infrastructure data. Operators managing motorways, airports and mobility services are accelerating the integration of operational technologies to improve efficiency, safety and service quality. In this scenario, data emerges as a strategic asset: these operators have enormous information assets that are still partly underused. Building architecture and governance models capable of enhancing them — securely, compliantly and interoperably — represents one of the most tangible opportunities of the near future, also as a means of collaboration with public administrations in urban and infrastructure planning.
The third development concerns the progressive convergence between private mobility and public transport. From the traveler’s point of view, this distinction is fading more and more: what matters is being able to move simply, continuously and reliably. In this scenario, those who can build effective connections between these two worlds — technologically, commercially and regulatorily — may take on a highly relevant position within the mobility ecosystem.
Ultimately, the real opportunity does not lie in a single technology, but in the ability to sit at the center of the ecosystem: connecting players, integrating data and enabling collaboration models among actors that have historically operated in separate silos.
In this scenario, we at Engineering respond to these challenges with an approach that enables us to support organizations across the entire mobility value chain, helping them on the path toward Smart Mobility that is more efficient, safe and sustainable.
The real opportunity does not lie in a specific technology but it’s in the ability to sit at the center of the ecosystem: connect players, integrate data, and enable collaboration among the different actors involved.
Domenico Murabito
Mobility Director of Engineering
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