At the end of November, the Financial Times published a list of what it called European “digital champions”: 100 people or companies that are using technology well, changing something in their sector. Out of 100, 11 are Italian. It might therefore be of interest to you to know who they are, because in addition to large and famous companies there are also smaller, younger and less known ones.
The Financial Times list is divided into five categories: individuals, business digital transformation, new technologies and business models, technology education, and the use of technologies for societal challenges. Among the individuals there is no Italian, so there are only companies on the list: six are in the business digital transformation sector, three deal with technological training and two try to use technology to change society for the better. The companies are La Bottega del Calzolaio, Botta, Di Sciascio, Enel, FarmaRegno, Gucci, Associazione Officine Leonardo, HelPeople, World's Advanced Saving Project, Estra and Treedom. A few words about what they are and what they do.
La Bottega del Calzolaio
It is on the list for having known how to use technology to change its sector, not technological. It has existed since 1916, when Luca Del Vecchio founded it near Salerno and in 2013 his heirs Orazio and Luca – who are part of the fourth generation of Del Vecchio who looks after the Bottega del Calzolaio – opened a store on eBay. In three years the turnover has increased by 400 percent, and since 2016 they have also opened their website, which allows them to sell many more products than those sold directly in the shop: shoes, but also belts, buckles, orthotics, insoles. , wallets and heel lifts. Now ten people work for the Bottega del Calzolaio who deal with things that have to do with online sales. In a recent video we talk about a turnover that in the last two years has increased by 600 percent.
Di Sciascio
It is a technical office that offers consultancy in the construction sector. This is also family owned, but has only been around since 2011. The Financial Times chose it because it has adopted and well implemented systems and software that do various things (technical things, like engineers) including 3D printing.
Botta
It has existed since 1947, is still family-run and is based in Trezzano sul Naviglio, in the province of Milan. It deals with cardboard packaging and has been using robots for some time to automate certain production processes and chatbots, chats in which it is not a human being who speaks.
Enel
You know the company. It has existed since 1962 and its name was chosen because it stands for National Electricity Body. It is on the list because the company plans to spend € 4.7 billion by 2020 to digitize the power grid, using drones and advanced automation systems, among other things.
FarmaRegno
After taking over the pharmacy opened by his grandfather, Tiziano Regno was able to transform it into an online store that distributes products in Italy and Europe, and is now planning to expand to the United States as well. As the site explains, in addition to pharmaceuticals and products for beauty, health and hygiene, FarmaRegno has also specialized in boxes and products for first aid. It supplies them “to over 500 companies, from small local businesses to multinationals such as Coca-Cola and British Tobacco Italia, just to name a few”.
Gucci
It has existed since 1921 and even if you don't know anything about fashion, you know it exists. However, the Financial Times appreciated the commitment it is putting into robotic experimentation and the use of 3D design.
Officine Leonardo Association
The previous companies were chosen for their ability to transform by exploiting the digital sector. Associazione Officine Leonardo was chosen – as well as the next two – for having been able to «create a bridge to overcome the digital divide, teaching skills to under-represented groups in the technology sector». The association has existed for three years and teaches students of all ages and levels of study things that have to do with robotics and the automation of production processes. It is based in Pomigliano d'Arco, in the province of Naples.
HelPeople
A foundation of Neptune, near Rome. It has existed since 1991 and the site explains that it was created “by the will of a group of families united in the desire to provide material assistance to children and adolescents in difficulty”. The Financial Times chose her because of how she managed to put the internet in what she does.
WASP
The name is an acronym of World's Advanced Saving Project, but despite the English the company is based in Massa Lombarda (which despite the name is in province of Ravenna). WASP has existed since 2012 and is involved in designing and manufacturing 3D printers that use eco-friendly materials. He also puts in place some projects to explain to students what 3D printers are, how they are made and what they are for.
Extract
She was chosen, as well as the next one, for how she is trying to use technology to make the world a little better place. It is a group born in 2009 from the collaboration of three Tuscan companies: Consiag, Intesa and Coingas. The Financial Times writes that it aims to encourage the development of services related to renewable energy, making them more accessible to consumers. The “corporate” explanation on the website speaks of “three Tuscan multi-utility groups that decide to join forces to exploit the existing synergies in the natural gas and electricity sales sector and become a new leader in Central Italy. Thus was born Estra, a company active in the sale of natural gas and electricity “.
Treedom
The company has existed since 2010 and what it does is very simple, and explained as soon as you search for its name on Google: “Plant or give a tree with a click ». It allows you to make a donation so that a tree is planted somewhere in the world (on which the donors are then regularly updated by email).
