Calia Italia in the spotlight at the Sole 24 Ore Innovation Days: “Beauty and neighbourhood culture are the key to success”.

The ‘Innovation Days’ promoted by Il Sole 24 Ore reported the state of the Italian economy. In an important year for economic recovery and innovation, Calia Italia was chosen as the host of the event.

‘Innovation Days 2021’, the road show to showcase Made in Italy excellence and innovation

Ten days of live streaming, moderated by Sole 24 Ore journalists, in which entrepreneurs and Italian experts shared their successful experiences, new business models and winning ideas for innovation and the growth of Made in Italy. This was the third edition of ‘Innovation Days’ promoted by Il Sole 24 Ore.

This road show, telling the story of the Italian economy, took place in 10 stages across the Italian regions, whilst also entering the factories and competence centres already set up by universities.

Calia Italia was among the protagonists for the 2021 edition showcasing the excellence of Made in Italy through a combination of history and tradition with contemporaneity and high quality. Indeed it was a prestigious and much-needed opportunity to participate given the particular nature of the year that is drawing to a close. Talking about economic recovery and innovation and looking to the future with hope, is the most important thing we can do at this time and entails a considerable responsibility.

Calia Italia at ‘Innovation Days 2021’: the importance of sustainability and neighbourhood culture for the businesses of today and tomorrow

The ‘Innovation Days 2021’ went through the whole of Italy. From the first appointment live from Lombardy, we listened to the experiences and testimonials of the most prestigious companies in the country, from North to South. Calia Italia participated as a speaker at the ‘Innovation Days’ in Veneto on 10 November 2021. This webinar was dedicated to the in-depth study of topics related to sustainable digital innovation, through virtual company visits and an analysis of best practices.

To look to the future, companies must discover or rediscover the importance of people and the territory in which they live. They must fit harmoniously into this context to enhance human sociality and sharing, local traditions and sustainability. It is these values that have always distinguished Calia Italia and that led it to be chosen as the host of the ‘Innovation Days’.

Of course our company’s history is inextricably linked to Matera. Indeed it was in this Lucanian town that Calia Italia was founded in 1965 and where it continues to grow today, boasting more than 300 employees and over 80 million euros in turnover as a Group.

Resilience, openness and hospitality link the company and the city in an osmosis like way. From age-old traditions to openness to the world (e.g.Matera as European Capital of Culture 2019), Calia Italia is a leading international furniture company where these two realities seem to share the same destiny.

In fact it is this focus on roots and community that is our real winning card. “The idea of working with people at the centre of their activities and developing projects around people is very important today for the economic and social development of the company and the territory itself,” explains Saverio Calia, General Manager of Marketing and Development at Calia Italia. “We have always followed the approach of our founder, Liborio Vincenzo Calia, who was born in the Sassi and who, for this reason, was the proponent of the ‘culture of the neighbourhood’”. But what is the ‘culture of the neighbourhood’? “It is what has allowed people to get by and to live. It is a culture that is based on the concepts of sharing, resilience, solidarity, and that allows businesses to change their attitude and grow by taking into account people’s needs, which change over time”.

In addition to values rooted in the past and in traditional craftsmanship, Calia Italia is open to digitalisation and innovation, with cutting-edge software in the field of 3D concept design, which makes it possible to design sofas digitally, optimising time and resources right from the prototype stage.

All this makes the company an excellent example of Made in Italy, a definition that indicates, in the words of Saverio Calia, ‘an attitude to embrace beauty’. He says, “We are steeped in beauty and we tend to highlight beauty in our products. Supporting all school and training activities, museum and food-related culture makes us unique. We are steeped in the thousand-year history of Matera and the culture of the neighbourhood and this is transferred, through our work, to other countries.”