PIEMONTE: European and global gateway
Piemonte is strategically positioned at the heart of the European development system, right at the crossroads of the main routes between the North-South, East-West. As part of the European Union, companies located in Piemonte have duty free access to more than 30 national markets within the European Economic Area and to the world’s richest consumer market of 500 million people, over 330 million of whom work in the single currency. Italy is Europe’s 2nd largest manufacturer and in the last 30 years has always ranked in the World’s Top 10 Manufacturers. Piemonte has strongly contributed to this success, demonstrating to be one of the manufacturing engines of Europe. It produces about 8% of Italy's national wealth, and its production system has reached high levels of excellence and tertiary sector expansion.
DESIGN
Torino and Piemonte boast a long and successful story of design-driven innovation. Some outstanding inspirations that led to everyday items, icons of the design which is a synonym for Made in Italy production around the world, were developed here.
Facts and figures about design and the creative industry sector in Piemonte
- About 2,650 companies and design studios
- About 72,500 employees
- More than €14 bn turnover
- 64% of design-oriented companies exports abroad
- 27% of the companies exports up to 20% of the turnover
Torino is UNESCO Creative City for Design
In 2014 the City of Torino was designated UNESCO Creative City for Design. Piemonte has effectively important excellence and huge experience in this field. The theme of design - one of the main categories of the Creative Cities Network, the one in which the city was a candidate - is suitable for Torino: the city has made a unique use of design as one of the keys for industrial and post-industrial development, and has already received prestigious international awards.
The tradition
Design is at the heart of the Made in Italy culture and has animated and grounded the most important industries in Torino and Piemonte.
Besides the transportation sector, for which Piemonte design is worldwide recognised thanks to its famous car designers, creative ideas are distinctive features in many fields: architecture, living - i.e. furniture, complements, housewares, fittings and taps -, fashion - namely clothing, accessories, writing - and sports.
International awards and the future
The ability to invent new markets, conceive new meanings and create new forms that become part of everyday life is innate to the production and cultural tissue of the region. Some happy inspirations that led to the creation of true design icons, were developed here. To name but two: Bialetti’s Moka or design-icon Kactus by Gufram.
Today Piemonte is very well distinguished as a design-driven region and boasts internationally famous companies like Alessi and Serralunga and worldwide appreciated brands such as Pininfarina and Giugiaro - together with a new generation of designers that face the international competition using in a sophisticated way the traditional, cultural, productive and technologic know-how to trace new paths in: interaction design, interactive visual communication, service design, co-participatory design, 3D printing.
FASHION
Craftsmanship ability, style, research, personalisation of the products are internationally recognised as the winning features animating Piemonte's Made in Italy fashion.
Piemonte’s clothing and fashion sector encompasses quite a broad variety including lingerie, fashion accessories, footwear, leather goods and plays a leading role in the field of garments.
Piemonte offers a wide range of productions, represented by the presence of a number of major famous producers such as Ermenegildo Zegna, Miroglio, Basicnet (Robe di Kappa, Superga, K-Way, Jesus Jeans), and many smaller businesses endowed with high quality products and that have created interesting niche markets.
