Our Journey to Italy arrives in the Cuneo area, where we work with the ambition of bringing the district’s skills outside the territory. Director Elio Becchis: «Seven privately financed projects have started in two and a half years. An alliance that creates jobs”
Two thousand square meters to create and share ideas and projects, with the idea that working in synergy is always an excellent solution. On these principles theAt Digital Innovation Gate 421 Of Cherasco, just outside Bra in the province of Cuneo. In the new hub of Tesisquarean Italian company that deals with supply chains, begins this new episode with our usual Thursday appointment with I travel to italy.
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How the AI Digital Innovation Gate 421 was born
Born from an idea of Giuseppe Pacotto, founder and CEO of Tesisquare, and his wife Marcella Briziothe Digital Innovation Gate 421 is a multidisciplinary hub And multi-company dedicated to open innovation which is spread over 2,000 square meters, embracing innovation in particular in the sectors of manufacturing, of theartificial intelligencefrom the telemedicine and of theagritech. «Our goal is to become a point of reference for the territory, promoting innovation, the exchange of knowledge, digital skills and related opportunities, both on new products and services and on new business models – he declared Elio Becchisgeneral director of DIG421 – To face the new challenges of the near and distant future we have inaugurated two new campuses and by the end of the year we hope to complete the construction of the adjacent park, with green pedestrian paths».
The hub is, in fact, conceived as a campus aggregating reality innovations strongly rooted in the territory that contribute to the creation of an ecosystem which includes companies, startups, institutions, the university and research world, in a collaborative space open to the territory but with an international vocation.
The best projects of the Digital Innovation Gate 421
Among the most promising projects that revolve around Digital Innovation Gate 421 are: «Mechanics ’97, who works on AI applied to the industrial sector, HORTOBot – “Garden at your fingertips”which aims to promote environmental and economic sustainability, as well as improve corporate welfare, with a prototype with zero CO2 emissions, DL Novel Foodwhich deals with technological solutions for insect breeding, Rosmamian app that organizes favorite recipes for shopping without waste and reducing costs, and other projects related to ecology and the wine supply chain – says Elio Becchis – Last year we started the first experimentation and at the moment we are also experimenting with a logistics service that allows us to reduce the environmental and tourist impact in the Langhe, small and beautiful territories that must be preserved”.
But agritech is not the only sector on which Digital Innovation Gate 421 is focusing. «We are also working on a van to provide telemedicine services in contexts that are not easily reachable, in order to bring together people and companies to try to improve the livability of the area and create jobs that are born here and remain here, and with startups like Dally, which is implementing an app that deals with diabetes patients to guide them towards improving their lifestyle”. And on the subject of artificial intelligence, some startups are part of the hub such as: «Voysan app that promotes business meetings, Inventio.ai who works on artificial intelligence applied to industry and Authenticwhich with RFID and NFC traceability systems deals with anti-counterfeiting in the wine and oil supply chain.”
An ecosystem that works in synergy
«The Digital Innovation Gate 421 collaborates with multiple players in the ecosystem such as incubators, trade associations, universities, startupsp – continues the general director – We are a private capital and participation foundation that boasts around ten supporters. We create innovation to bring it to the territory and we also collaborate with some startups that enter our perimeter also to ask us for advice, help, how to access our network and accompany us in the financing model”. Furthermore, the hub focuses on dissemination. «In the Digital Innovation Gate 421, training, dissemination and discussion initiatives are continuously proposed on topics of general interest in the field of innovation. Additionally, the campus features a large park open to the public where to encourage the development of workplace learning and put know-how, new opportunities and the possibility of accessing specific skills at the service – explains the director – We are organizing many information meetings. When we were born 3 years ago, at the tail end of Covid, we couldn’t hold events and we didn’t have the right spaces to do them. Now the goal is to spread the culture and explain to everyone that phenomena like AI can be subjected to or exploited positively to improve one’s business and lifestyle.”
From Cherasco to the supranational borders
«Our peripheral position actually favors us because we aim to become the center of gravity of the area as a meeting and contamination point – continues Elio Becchis – Our gaze begins locally but then develops nationally and internationally. In 2 and a half years we managed to get it started 7 operational projects with resources financed by companies. If these 7 projects generated 10 jobs in the medium term it would already be an excellent achievement, with a positive impact on the area in terms of jobs. Then around us gravitates a network of approximately 700 people who in recent years have been able to bring and innovate. The foundation is young and needs people to come and give us a hand, including the university and academic world.”
The structure where Digital Innovation Gate 421 now stands was designed by the studio NEMESI Architects of Rome, which he also put on the ground – among many other works – Palazzo Italia, the tree-forest building, symbol and legacy of Expo 2015 in Milan. “Let’s not forget that the beauty of the workplace matters, making the work itself easier.”
