Ferrari has taken the wraps off the all-new production lines (top) built for its latest model, the Ferrari California, and revealed wide-ranging changes to its Maranello factory, including a new restaurant (above), that improve working conditions and further lift its environmental credentials.

President Luca di Montezemolo and CEO Amedeo Felisa yesterday presented the latest phase of the innovative Ferrari "Formula Uomo" programme launched in 1997.

The programme is divided into several different sections: working environment, layout of the Ferrari "village", focus on safety, environmental awareness and energy saving, and employee and family services.

"Excellence is the driving force behind all of Ferrari's activities," President Luca di Montezemolo declared. "We intend to create a working environment unlike any other anywhere in the world. A working environment where safety and environmental protection coexist in harmony in facilities designed and constructed with the workers' needs in mind. Not only should all of Ferrari's collaborators be able to avail of highly tech tools and work stations, they will also have a pleasant working environment in which to use their skills and express their creativity. A working environment in which safety and environmental awareness are priorities."

The latest two buildings in terms of working environment to be constructed were presented today: the new Company Restaurant designed by architect Marco Visconti and the New Car Assembly Lines designed by architect Jean Nouvel, winner of this year's internationally prestigious Pritzker Architecture Prize.

The former is located at the very heart of the Ferrari "village". Designed as a place where our employees can meet and socialise, it is surrounded by a partly covered square where workers can relax during their breaks. This is the same concept that inspired the creation of new refreshment areas such as the garden area created inside the Foundry.

The new Car Assembly Lines are the second new addition to the Ferrari campus. These are where the melding of artisan skills and avant-garde technologies is at its most advanced. Every single work station has been designed to improve work quality by reducing worker movement and enhancing ergonomics in a climate-controlled environment that guarantees comfortable working conditions all year round. The Lines are surrounded by large windows that open onto a green area featuring the historic red-painted wall of the facility built by Enzo Ferrari in the 1960s.

"With the addition of these two new buildings," stressed the President, "we have completed the renovation of the entire Car Production Area that began in the late 1990s, and has involved the investment of over 200 million euro. Next year we will be going one step further when we begin work on the new GES facility."

Great emphasis has been placed on safety in the work place, environmental awareness and energy saving throughout the project also. "Our goal," declared Luca di Montezemolo, "is to have a production facility in which there is zero possibility of an industrial accident. We must, however, remain aware that this objective can only be attained with the full cooperation of all those involved. This is why we have increased both our investment in structural work and in training this year. In 2008 alone, in fact, we will be investing over four million euro. However, I repeat that investment alone is not enough. Each one of the men and women working in Ferrari must feel responsible for their own safety and that of their co-workers." With regard to environmental protection and energy saving, Ferrari CEO Amedeo Felisa introduced the two latest projects embarked upon: a photovoltaic system and a trigeneration plant.

"These new energy generations plants," said Amedeo Felisa, "will allow us to cut the amount of electricity we take from the national grid by 25% and to reduce our CO2 emissions by 35%. By the end of this year we'll have saved tens of tonnes of emission."

"This emphasis on environmental awareness has also led to the extension of the green areas both inside and outside the company buildings. Thus far we have planted over 1,000 trees along the central boulevard named in honour of Enzo Ferrari and the streets that open off it and are named in honour of our various World Champions. The overall objective of this urban planning project is to provide pedestrian walkways and cart routes for production services. We will also soon be adding a series of shelters in which over 100 bikes will be parked for employees to use in moving around the campus."