Innovazione

🏖 Danilo Curzi, CEO of Idee per Viaggiare, announced in Milan that the company is projected to close fiscal year 2025 (ending October 31) with a turnover of €122 million, up from €112 million in 2024. Starting in 1989 with a travel agency, Curzi's company has grown to 170 employees and is celebrating 30 years with events and 21 fam-trips. Idee per Viaggiare specializes in long-haul travel and is embracing digitalization, with a potential ownership transition planned around 2028-2029.

✈ Airbus is developing future aircraft with a prototype expected in four years, and passenger flights slated between 2035 and 2040. These planes will feature narrower fuselages, lighter and new materials, wider and folding wings, and open fan engines. The goal is to reduce CO2 emissions by 30% compared to the A320 neo, using more efficient materials and engines. The wings will be thinner, longer, and foldable to suit airport gates, and cockpits will integrate advanced technology, including artificial intelligence.

🛒 MarTech Company Retex introduced Italy's first "Smart Cart" by Shopic in Mercatò, Piossasco (TO), providing an AI and Computer Vision powered shopping experience. The interactive touchscreen cart enhances the checkout process, offers real-time promotions, personalizes the shopping experience, and collects data to improve marketing strategies and store profitability. Launched in 2024, the rollout in Piossasco occurred in March 2025, in collaboration with Dimar S.p.A., a Piemontese company active for over 40 years.

🍹 L'Angolino, a bar in Firenze, offers classic and innovative cocktails below €10. Eight years ago, Dusan Bozic, a former client and business consultant, stepped in to help and eventually became a partner. The team includes majority partner Sergio Borghi, bartender Pietro Giannetti, recent addition Federico Domini, and multimedia artist Asia Niero. Their drinks menu, limited to nine options due to space, now features a color-based Pantone system for selection. Prices range from €8 for a basic Gin Tonic to €13, with a careful balance between costs and quality. The clientele is diverse, including locals, Italians, and foreigners, with few hit-and-run tourists. L'Angolino participated in the Florence Cocktail Week and is considering "reverse guest" events in other cities like Palermo. They plan to refresh their menu biannually and are currently designing a new bar setup for the summer.

🌊 Antigua and Barbuda's Ministry of Tourism, Civil Aviation, Transport and Investments launched www.ArriveAntigua.com for travelers at V.C. Bird International Airport, enhancing arrival and departure management. Minister Charles Fernandez announced the system, intended to create a seamless experience and reduce time at the terminal. Features include an intuitive interface, automatic passport scanning, a quick questionnaire, and a QR code to expedite immigration and customs. The service will soon expand to maritime ports and private jet passengers.

🖥 On April 9th, at Palazzo Valentini, the third edition of the Roma Digital Summit took place, focusing on Giubileo, PNRR, Sustainable Transport, AI, Cybersecurity, Digital Innovation, Tourism, and Cultural Heritage. The event, part of the "Digital Italy Program 2025," aimed to share guidelines for future planning in digital transition and technological innovation. Rome, a city with 4 million people, is undergoing significant investments thanks to PNRR and Giubileo funds, improving urban spaces and infrastructures. The President of Federturismo, Marina Lalli, highlighted that 80% of companies are using AI, with 40% aiming to enhance customer knowledge and experience. The upcoming Jubileum portal will feature pilgrim routes, enhancing tourism and the cultural experience in Rome.

📦 Sanpellegrino, a leader in mineral waters and non-alcoholic drinks, participated in "Giornata Nazionale del Made in Italy 2025" on April 14, 2025, at San Giorgio in Bosco, showcasing their nearly 100-year-old iconic beverages. The event, established in 2024, was part of the Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy's initiative to celebrate Italian quality and creativity. Michel Beneventi, CEO, emphasized Sanpellegrino's over 125-year role in promoting Italian excellence in over 150 countries. The company also supports young talent, partnering with world-renowned chefs and restaurants to further spread Italian culture and gastronomy globally. During the event, third-year students from ENAIP Veneto SFP of Cittadella visited the Sanpellegrino plant, gaining insights into the industry and the company's connection to local communities.

☕ - Ceado, founded in Venice in 1999, launches the new high-end REV series of coffee grinders. The REV series introduces WAM technology for precise dosing, Sweep-Out for fresh grinding, Steady Lock for consistent grind size, and GTM for stable temperature. REV STEEL, REV TITAN, and REV ZERO are the models offered, designed for espresso, high-volume environments, and aromatic profile enhancement respectively. The grinders are quiet, easy to clean, and have a user-friendly, customizable interface.

🍷 Nicolas Di Maria from Caffè Paszkowski wins the first "Reverso Martini" contest during the Florence Cocktail Week on April 8 at Sina Villa Medici. His creation, "Game, set, match... oliva" featuring a blend including Orange Bitter, Havana, Veritas, and Taggiasca olives in brine, impressed the jury with its balance and creativity. The competition challenged nine finalists to elevate the Taggiasca olive from a garnish to the star of their cocktails. The judging panel included Serena Mela, Chiara Beretta, Alfredo Del Bene, and chef Niccolò Palumbo, assessing balance, technique, creativity, and presentation.

📈 At Sigep 2025, Fabio Russo interviewed Angelo Napoli, CEO and Founder of Ing. Napoli & C., established in 2002. The company innovated with Tostabar, Italy's first coffee roaster for bars, and introduced Don Fernandos for unique coffee trading and Regina, a lever machine brand. Napoli discussed the invention of microrostery in Italy and the training provided for clients to produce their own branded coffee. A significant innovation presented was Regina LS, the first semi-automatic lever machine, enhancing productivity by eliminating wait times between extractions.