Upskill Ancona has begun! On March 21 there was a warm-up with the seven companies participating in the project also promoted by Fondazione Cariverona with Upskill 4.0. The goal of the project is to combine 4.0 technologies and craftsmanship know-how, thus contributing to the competitiveness of companies in the Marche region. This is the first time that we are in the Marche region, and the reaction of local companies and trade associations has been really warm.
We will always work with them with the help of young ITS talents to support the skills of individual companies: they all have really special products and services, and we would like them to trigger a new way of thinking about craftsmanship. "The Marche companies participating in this first edition of Upskill Ancona all have unique products and very special services: we would like them to be catalysts for other companies in the area," said Stefano Micelli, president of Upskill 4.0.
There are seven companies in Upskill Ancona, we introduce them to you.
Gaia Segattini "Knotwear" is a company in the Marche region of Italy that works in sustainable knitwear. It makes garments with quality yarns from production stocks or regenerated. Already the name of the company is a play on words to emphasize the unconventional characteristic of these products, not only from an ideological and aesthetic point of view but also as a design, production and commercial methodology. The yarns used in the garments produced by Gaia Segattini "Knotwear" are all fine-cone stocks of the best quality, this for the purpose of sustainability and limiting the waste of raw materials. In April 2022, the company became a Benefit Corporation. The design challenge conceived by the Upskill 4.0 team in collaboration with Gaia Segattini, founder of Gaia Segattini "Knotwear," is to create a creative hub based on the values of the circular economy that can connect and create positive relationships between Marche knitters, creatives, designers, tourists and the citizenry.
IN.CO.M. srl, from a small artisan company has become an industrial reality that works "custom-made" iron, stainless steel and aluminum. It has been in the engineering sector for 60 years and is able to customize to detail the production of semi-finished products, profile structures and machines or parts of machines complete with assembly and testing. Managed according to Lean principles, the company innovatively places people first and then technology at the center. Over the years, In.Co.M. has been able to innovate production processes by investing in 4.0, going so far as to create a vertical warehouse. The design challenge conceived by the Upskill 4.0 team in collaboration with Matteo Campolucci, managing director of IN.CO.M. srl, is precisely to help the company tell the story of the process of automation and investment in 4.0 technologies as a competitive value for its current and potential customers.
Esperya S.r.l. is an Ancona-based company that has been active for about three years in the specialty coffee and coffee equipment business. Antonio Tombolini, founder of one of the first online gourmet stores, brings to the market cold brew coffee, a drink obtained by a slow and delicate infusion in water of the best coffee beans. The design challenge is to help the end consumer learn about the many healthy properties and sustainability benefits of consuming Nitro Coffee, especially in terms of supply chain traceability.
Velvet For Philosophers is a vintage clothing store in Senigallia. It has been active since 2021 and offers vintage men's and women's clothing. The design challenge is to help them position themselves as a vintage landmark not only for selling clothing, but also for promoting activities and experiences to raise awareness of vintage culture among young people.
The Well in the Desert Association operates in the cultural promotion and educational sphere, with the school 'Wells and Puddles.' It was founded in 2017 by a group of friends who shared a desire to help build a society centered on gratuitousness and living in harmony with others and nature. With Stefania Andreoni, the design challenge conceived by the Upskill 4.0 team is to create a physical and digital platform to better organize the reading materials for children and adults that the association has available, with the aim of strengthening relationships among members and fostering the creation of new relationships with the territory.
Grilli fabbrica alimentare S.r.l. is in the business of creating ready-made deli products and fresh pasta. Every day they produce ready-made delicatessen and fresh pasta products as per tradition, made with artisan care and the efficiency of a state-of-the-art laboratory. For the past year or so they have launched "Ninì - Baby Food" organic, healthy, sustainable food products linked to the culinary tradition of the Marche region. The design challenge conceived by the Upskill 4.0 team in collaboration with Roberto Grilli, founder of the company, is to map out a positioning strategy that, through the identification of the right channels and communication, will promote the brand Ninì baby food to the B2C market through digital tools.
Rinci was founded in 2015 in the heart of the Conero National Park, thanks to Francesco, Luca and Alessandro's passion for their region and its products of excellence. The company's main business is Paccasassi, a wild grass at risk of extinction, made cultivable by the company in order to bring it back to the tables of anyone who wants to taste the authentic flavors of the Marche region. The project challenge identifies in collaboration with Alessandro Babbini, owner of Rinci, is to help Rinci's current and potential B2B and B2C customers understand the possibilities of using Paccasassi del Conero in the kitchen, encouraging the rediscovery of a local raw material through a communication strategy and the identification of new formats.