How to promote the growth and international projection of Venetian high craftsmanship?
From this question comes Homo Faber Economy a project for the city of Venice promoted by Ca' Foscari University in partnership with Fondazione di Venezia and Upskill 4.0.
The project has received I.C.O.N.A funding from the Veneto Region and until September 2025 will seek to provide concrete answers for innovation and the development of managerial and technological skills consistent with Venice.
This project starts from afar and represents a further step in a trattoria that has been plotted for some time. How to promote the artisanal matrix of Venice is in fact a reflection born fifteen years ago now, just think of books such as "Futuro Artigiano" which, in unsuspected times, declined the many ways in which it is possible to decline to the future a legacy that deserves to be proposed on an international scale.
In the meantime, everything has changed; today we live in a complex scenario, the world is no longer flat. In this discontinuity, Made in Italy must also rethink itself.
Over the past two decades, high craftsmanship related to the luxury industry has not suffered any cracks; in Venice it is now included in prestigious exhibition contexts such as Homo Faber, the Venice Biennale, and brings with it the idea of a city made to measure.
The Homo Faber Economy project was born out of the realization that we cannot stop at that and is intended to be a practical exercise in taking a quantum leap. With this project, workers from twelve craft realities will benefit from a growth path that includes a discussion on transformations in business models, specific training on 4.0 technologies, and some important national and international comparisons thanks to the dialogue with seven project partner institutions.
On Friday, March 1, there was the kick-off of the project with a seminar entitled "Solid Innovation, Sustainability and the Local Economy."
The seminar was attended by Simone Venturini, Councillor for Labor and Economic Development of the City of Venice, Michele Bugliesi, president of the Venice Foundation, and Stefano Micelli, president of the spin-off Upskill 4.0.
There were also Prof. Caterina Carpinato, Vice Chancellor for Third Mission at Ca' Foscari, Alessandra De Nitto Head of Editorial Activities and Events of Fondazione Cologni dei Mestieri d'Arte from Milan, Elisa Guidi coordinator of Artex, Center for Artistic and Traditional Craftsmanship of Tuscany, and Lorenzo Cinotti and Laura Scarpa from Venezia da Vivere.
Entrepreneurs from the 12 businesses involved were also present: Martina Vidal Venice who makes luxury home linens with Burano lace; Ramosalso, a brand specializing in upcycling; Tabinotabi Venice brand of textiles produced exclusively with high-tech organic vegetable yarns; Amourrina brand of jewelry made in Murano; Marisa Convento, creator of jewelry made of Murano glass beads in Venice; Antonia Sautter designer and event organizer; Paperwool jewelry and design objects made from fine paper; Made with patience ethical fashion workshop; Agnese Lunardelli of Lunardelli Venezia historic wood design company; Andreina Brengola jewelry created from industrial materials; PerlamadreDesign contemporary bead and jewelry atelier; and Orsoni Venezia 1888 the last historic kiln in Venice that has been using the same methods since 1888 to produce mosaics.
The national and international network partners participating in the project are Fondazione Cologni dei Mestieri d'Arte of Milan; Artex, Center for Artistic and Traditional Craftsmanship of Tuscany; Les Ateliers de Paris, Office of Design, Fashion and Artistic Professions, which implements the City of Paris' policy in favor of the creative professions; Cockpit Studios of London; Babled Design studio of Lisbon; Le Mobilier national of Paris, which is responsible for the management and preservation of the national heritage of furniture and textiles; and the communications agency Venezia da Vivere.