Venice, City of Artisanal Innovation: A platform designed and implemented by Upskill 4.0 with the support of the Fondazione di Venezia to relaunch craftsmanship and expertise together with Venetian companies and ITS students
Following last year’s success, the Upskill Venezia project is now in its second edition. Over the next four months, it will involve seven Venetian artisanal companies and 65 students aged 20-25 from Higher Technical Institutes (ITS) across Italy.
Upskill Venezia is an initiative promoted by the Fondazione di Venezia and dedicated to artisanal businesses intending to launch innovation and development projects.
In collaboration with Upskill 4.0 (a spin-off of Ca’ Foscari University of Venice), the project aims to contribute to corporate competitiveness by combining 4.0 technologies with traditional expertise, promoting new networking opportunities between ITS students and businesses.
Seven different challenges within a common journey
The seven companies participating in the project have different specializations but share a common root: the desire to reinterpret tradition to explore new market niches at both local and international levels.
The companies are: the Martina Vidal Atelier, which creates Burano lace with contemporary design; Gloria Rogliani, who has created new itineraries dedicated to exploring the world of Venetian rowing; Ramosalso, specialized in the upcycling of clothing; Rimani, which has launched a new neighborhood retail point in the Castello district focused on reducing packaging and enhancing the short supply chain; the Micromega shop, which creates unique eyewear custom-made for the client; Rehub, which focuses on recycling glass waste to make it a base material for 3D printers; and Wetlands, a new publishing house that has launched a reflection on Venice and its sustainability through a dedicated line of books.
Upskill Venezia and Artisanal Enterprises
The enterprises will be accompanied on their innovation journey by a team composed of ITS students and led by Upskill 4.0, which will develop new creative proposals and growth models.
Thanks to the commitment of the Fondazione di Venezia, which believes in Upskill Venezia, this project aims not only to help individual businesses but also to develop a shared platform capable of bringing together all those operators who operate outside of the tourism business as usual.
These are the key values that will be presented at the final event, scheduled for April 2023 at the M9 – Museum of the 20th Century in Mestre, featuring an exhibition of the results achieved through the shared work between the companies and the Italian ITS students.
Upskill and Venezia da Vivere
Venezia da Vivere is a partner of Upskill Venezia for project communication and the promotion of the selected artisanal realities. For years, it has been committed to supporting Venetian craftsmanship with projects such as Venice Fashion Week, which links craftsmanship to sustainability and contemporary design in fashion, and Atelier Aperti, a city-wide event promoting high traditional and innovative craftsmanship in Venice.
On this theme, Venezia da Vivere collaborates with Homo Faber, for which it is the City Ambassador, and with the business network Alto Artigianato Venezia.
Cover and photos of the visit by students from ITS Last in Verona to the Rehub studio in Murano; Upskill 4.0 tutors Alice Rizzetto and Sofia Ressia are with students Enrico Zanuso, Edoardo Kocina, David Zanotto, Giovanni Mòsele, and representative Michele Zavatteri; photos are by Marta Formentello.
The other photos are by Upskill Venezia.
