The Group has always been conscious of the important role, as both an economic and social actor, that it plays for its employees, and the communities in which it operates. Its commitment to supporting health and medical-scientific research initiatives, which contribute to the population at large, springs from the latter factor. While for the Group’s employees, there are numerous projects created to help reconcile private life with work: from daycare for the youngest children to a supermarket with hours also geared toward shift workers.
The following are some of the organizations supported by the Fiat Group:
European Institute of Oncology
Fiat is one of the founding members of this Institute, set up in Milan in 1987 as a private non-profit organization. Its main purpose is to contribute to scientific progress. As provided for by its Articles of Association, the EIO does not distribute profits to its founder members but instead reinvests all resources to strengthen the organization and its research activities.
The institute was inaugurated in 1994 and recognized two years later by the Italian government as a “Research Hospital and Treatment Center”. Today it is part of the National Health System and is headed by Umberto Veronesi.
Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment
Set up in the province of Turin in 1996, Fiat supported the Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment by donating land to host the new Candiolo Centre, and by providing special loan facilities.
The Institute is affiliated to the Turin University Faculty of Medicine and operates within the National Health Service. It employs highly advanced technology and some of the best human resources available for research into the fight against cancer.
Italian Cancer Research Association
Every year Fiat finances the National Cancer Research Day promoted by the Association to gather funds. The latter are then distributed annually to cover study grants and research projects endorsed by the Association's Technical-Scientific Committee (AIRC). Committee members are oncologists from all over Italy who are supported in their evaluation and selection activities by a group of 350 European and American researchers.
In addition, the Fiat Group promotes a number of internal associations, particularly in Italy:
• UGAF, the Fiat Group Seniors Association, with a worldwide membership of over 95,000 employees and former employees with at least 25 years of seniority;
• The Fiat Senior Managers Association (Gruppo Dirigenti Fiat), which represents the Group’s current and retired senior managers. The association has over 3,000 members around the world;
• Fiat Apprentices School Alumni Association (Ex-Allievi Fiat), whose members prepared for their careers through an on-the-job experience at the Company’s Apprentices School.
• Social Activity Centres (Cedas), an organization totalling more than 90,000 members in Italy, which promotes and coordinates cultural, recreational, sports and leisure time activities for Fiat employees, their families and friends.