Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Antonio Tajani, took part in the launch event of the 8th edition of Italian Design Day in the World, titled “Fabbricare valore – inclusiveness, innovation and sustainability” (Manufacturing value – inclusiveness, innovation and sustainability), which was held on Thursday 14 March at the Italian Foreign Ministry (Farnesina). The initiative was promoted and organised by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI) and Ministry of Culture – Directorate General for Contemporary Creativity, in cooperation with Fondazione ADI Compasso d’Oro, Associazione per il Disegno Industriale, Triennale Milano, Salone del Mobile, Federlegno Arredo and Agenzia ICE – the Italian Trade & Investment Agency.
The event – moderated by Francesca Santambrogio, head of editorial content for AD Italia – was attended by Italy’s Undersecretary of State to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Maria Tripodi, and Undersecretary of State to the Ministry of Culture, Lucia Borgonzoni, together with qualified speakers from the Italian design industry, including the President of Italian Trade Agency, Matteo Zoppas, the President of Triennale Milano, Stefano Boeri, the President of Salone del Mobile Milano, Maria Porro, the designer Mario Cucinella, and the President of the Association for Industrial Design (ADI), Luciano Galimberti.
The Italian Design Day in the World is an event conceived to promote Italian design abroad, support exports and the internationalisation of companies in the sector, spread knowledge about the technical and creative skills of Italian operators and attract tourist flows to Italy. As in previous editions, the network of Italian Embassies, Consulates, Cultural Institutes and ITA offices will organise a series of promotional initiatives, tailored to each location.
The theme of this year’s Italian Design Day in the World is perfectly in line with that of last year’s edition: while the focus in 2023 was on the quality of the final product, the aim for 2024 is to concentrate on the production process, which leads to the creation of industrial design objects that are “beautiful” from an aesthetic point of view, but also have a high “material” value, as they result from quality raw materials and manufacturing processes that combine tradition and craftsmanship with technology and environmental sustainability, thus reaffirming Italy’s manufacturing and production supremacy. This edition also intends to send a message of “inclusion”: Italian design objects are not targeted at a niche of customers, but are intended for a wide audience of informed buyers.
Since its birth in 2017, the exhibition has already seen over 1,200 initiatives organised worldwide by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation network, with the involvement of over 570 designers, architects, entrepreneurs, academics and specialised journalists. Among the initiatives scheduled for the 2024 edition, an exhibition conceived and curated by the publishing company Skira Editore, entitled “100 Vasi” (100 Vases), will be presented in several countries, offering an overview of one of the most common and widespread, but also most iconic and long-lived design objects produced by Italian manufacturers.
This year, 93 of the most renowned and qualified professionals, researchers, entrepreneurs, and specialised journalists will share their experiences and knowledge with the public in 100 locations of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation network abroad, highlighting the distinctive and original features that make Italian design appreciated and recognised on all continents.
Find out about the initiatives promoted by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, the Italian Trade Agency and SIMEST to support the worldwide growth of Italian companies in the sector.
