Become a resident in Cofactory
Join a world-class innovation hub for design leaders, where design-driven companies, startups and designers from across the globe come to innovate in Milan.
Cofactory supports a wide range of industries, from furniture to tech, by providing facilities dedicated to design and digital fabrication.
Join a world-class innovation hub for design leaders, where design-driven companies, startups and designers from across the globe come to innovate in Milan.
Cofactory supports a wide range of industries, from furniture to tech, by providing facilities dedicated to design and digital fabrication.
Enhance Your Real Estate Portfolio
We seek partnerships with real estate developers, landlords and investors to secure multi-year leases and expand CoFactory beyond Milan.
Our innovative urban factory model boosts urban regeneration projects, increasing asset value through the integration of coworking spaces and industrial expertise. Attract a qualified mix of creatives and innovators and differentiate your properties in a competitive market.
We seek partnerships with real estate developers, landlords and investors to secure multi-year leases and expand CoFactory beyond Milan.
Our innovative urban factory model boosts urban regeneration projects, increasing asset value through the integration of coworking spaces and industrial expertise. Attract a qualified mix of creatives and innovators and differentiate your properties in a competitive market.
Design momentum
Designtech launched Design momentum. The design-driven and equity-free acceleration program that fosters the development of innovative and sustainable products and solutions in the field of design, facilitating collaboration between startups and leading companies in the industry.
Designtech launched Design momentum. The design-driven and equity-free acceleration program that fosters the development of innovative and sustainable products and solutions in the field of design, facilitating collaboration between startups and leading companies in the industry.
esigntech drives transformative innovation across industries
like design architecture construction real estate
Join us on the tech side of Design
Join Designtech Hub and shape the future of living. Connect with industry leaders and access spaces and services to innovate at the intersection of design and technology.
Join Designtech Hub and shape the future of living. Connect with industry leaders and access spaces and services to innovate at the intersection of design and technology.
Become a Designtecher
Join Designtech Hub for unlimited access to cutting-edge machinery for digital fabrication, elite design expertise, and collaboration with innovators under one roof. Our programs generate breakthrough ideas and connect corporates with startups. With CoFactory, we support your projects from concept to product, enabling compelling three-dimensional creations.
Join Designtech Hub for unlimited access to cutting-edge machinery for digital fabrication, elite design expertise, and collaboration with innovators under one roof. Our programs generate breakthrough ideas and connect corporates with startups. With CoFactory, we support your projects from concept to product, enabling compelling three-dimensional creations.
CoFactory opening
Innovation spaces
Innovation spaces
We partner with global real estate developers to build future-proof innovation facilities. These design-living-labs offer creatives and innovators shared resources and expertise, providing startups and companies the opportunity to build beyond limits in scale, shape, or materials while broadcasting the lives of 3D innovators.
We partner with global real estate developers to build future-proof innovation facilities. These design-living-labs offer creatives and innovators shared resources and expertise, providing startups and companies the opportunity to build beyond limits in scale, shape, or materials while broadcasting the lives of 3D innovators.
CoFactory
A 1,500 sqm hybrid space with a light industrial floor for advanced manufacturing, seamlessly integrated with offices, coworking areas, labs, and event spaces. Designed as an open urban factory, it fosters collaboration among manufacturing startups, scaleups, designers and corporations.
A 1,500 sqm hybrid space with a light industrial floor for advanced manufacturing, seamlessly integrated with offices, coworking areas, labs, and event spaces. Designed as an open urban factory, it fosters collaboration among manufacturing startups, scaleups, designers and corporations.
via Polidoro da Caravaggio 30B 20156 Milano
C.space
C.Space is the design and media tech lounge dedicated to podcast production, private events, workshops, team building, design thinking sessions, business lunches and more.
C.Space is the design and media tech lounge dedicated to podcast production, private events, workshops, team building, design thinking sessions, business lunches and more.
via Varesina 162
20156 Milano
Open Innovation
Through open innovation programs that connect startups that want to accelerate their growth and industry-leading companies in search of innovation, we initiate pilot collaborations, creating PoCs (Proof of concept).
Designtech connects its members to collaboration opportunities by hosting open innovation initiatives that bridge design and technology to reinvent living. We link growth-focused startups with industry leaders, initiating pilot collaborations and supporting successful PoCs.
Lab status:
Closed
AUGMENTED
LIVING LAB
The Lab aims to select innovative technology solutions that will redesign the concept of Living, from an inclusive, adaptive and smart approach.
Lab Status:
Closed
ADDITIVE
DESIGN LAB
The Additive Design Lab was born to promote the experimentation of innovative solutions in the field of Additive Manufacturing. Its applications address the three technology areas of Materials, Hardware and Software, and Services, to integrate Additive technology in Construction, Interior and Product Design.
Lab status:
Coming soon
FASHION
FURNITURE
CIRCULAR LAB
The Fashion Furniture Circular Lab aims to generate and diffuse innovative solutions for tracking and upgrading textile production waste, with a cross-industry upcycling approach.
Lab status:
Closed
OFFSITE
LAB
The Offsite Call led to the selection of innovators and startups with enabling ideas and technologies for the transformation of the Construction sector. The Lab researched projects and solutions in the area of offsite construction systems (construction hybridized with manufacturing) that can reduce the time, cost and environmental impact of construction.
Made in Designtech
We are the go-to hub for developing 'phygital' and circular products. Our ecosystem leverages collective intelligence and services, providing strategic insight and reducing barriers to computational design and cutting-edge manufacturing technologies. We transform traditional industries and enhance sustainability through digitalized production. Discover our library of products and solutions developed within Designtech's ecosystem.
We are the go-to hub for developing 'phygital' and circular products. Our ecosystem leverages collective intelligence and services, providing strategic insight and reducing barriers to computational design and cutting-edge manufacturing technologies. We transform traditional industries and enhance sustainability through digitalized production. Discover our library of products and solutions developed within Designtech's ecosystem.
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Treddy
3D scanning &
3D printing
JetFusion on Jetski
The primary objective of the "JetFusion on Jetski" project was to restore and modernize the aesthetic
components of a 1991 Kawasaki Jetski. The project involved the following key steps:
3D Scanning: Scanning the upper parts of the jetski, including the engine cover and side portions.
Reverse Engineering: Remodeling the scanned components to create a modern and aerodynamic design.
Additive Manufacturing: Utilizing Multi Jet Fusion (MJF) technology to produce the redesigned parts.
Post-Production: Treating and finishing the parts to enhance durability and aesthetics.
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Ecoesedra
Carbon Footprint
Veneto Vetro company CO2 calculation
Purpose: The Carbon Footprint allows the company to identify the activities, sources, and intensity of greenhouse gas emissions, providing a real image of the impacts.
The benefits include strengthening awareness of environmental impacts, enabling the company to make sustainable choices, improving its green reputation and sustainable communication, and aligning with environmental regulations.
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Aura
Nature based solutions
Breathing wall
The Sphera breathing wall aims to utilize natural technology to replace high-energy mechanical systems, maximizing benefits and reducing waste to zero. Air is filtered through a biofilter, with pollutants absorbed and eliminated by plants via phytoremediation. The biofilter contains a purifying substrate and 16 plants, ensuring efficient air purification.
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PQ Design
Industrial Design
Innovative augmented reality viewer
Holo Industry, in collaboration with Foxconn, tasked us with developing an augmented reality viewer capable of seeing animals or people in the dark, looking inside walls, and monitoring the temperature of fluids and gases. Our user-centric approach and expertise in industrial design turned innovative ideas into concrete results. LEAN project management significantly reduced time to market, enabling Holo Industry and Foxconn to realize their vision within a precise timeline.
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Designtech
Digital product customization
Online Configurator
Collect user data via API and send to Hubspot for remarketing. View request details and reconstruct 3D models. Generate backend assets and pre-filled PDFs for quotes and order confirmations. Use the Mailflow Tool for professional communication and generate checkout URLs for payment and order processing.
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Puntozero
Design for additive
3D Footwear
We have reinvented footwear design and production using implicit modeling, parametric design, and 3D printing. This methodology enables customized, innovative designs optimized for consumers' needs and improves product performance. Our case study showcases this approach's potential through iterative design and prototyping, creating components and entire footwear that meet aesthetic expectations, offer superior performance, and ensure environmental sustainability.
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Caracol
Additive manufacturing
Mikkel Nielsen
We print high-performing polymers and composites, selecting and engineering industrial-grade materials for efficient production across industries. "Soft Structures no.5" by Studio Mikkel Nielsen is one of the largest single-piece 3D printed installations, over 3 meters tall, made with Caracol's LFAM robotic system using transparent recycled polymer. This structure, exhibited at Designmuseum Danmark's "The Future is Present," appears light, glass-like, and airy.
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Hi-Interiors
Internet of furniture
Histand
We integrated cutting-edge technology into a nightstand, transforming it into a multifunctional smart device with enhanced functionality and user experience. The project includes a purifier system, touch panel controls, and sensors for lighting. The conversational lighting system indicates air quality with real-time color changes, creating a soothing atmosphere. Our IoT solutions improve usability and quality of life while preserving the original design's beauty.
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Furf
Concept development
Vaso Fiore
Five vases, designed using computer-aided design software, are combined to form a flower-like shape. They can be 3D printed using biodegradable polymer. Customization with sponsor logos is possible during printing, ensuring durability and a polished finish for promotional purposes. Light sensors add an interactive feature, automatically illuminating the vase in the presence of nearby movement.
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R3PLICA
Digital twins
Smart Assets
R3PLICA's Smart Assets are digital representations of branded design products enriched with data beyond their 3D models. These assets include detailed finish collections, technical specifications, and direct links to product pages, all certified for accuracy. Integrated into real-time design environments, they allow architects and interior designers to visualize and work with true-to-life replicas of furniture and other design elements, ensuring that their projects maintain fidelity to the original products. These smart assets streamline the design process by embedding crucial information and supporting faster project iterations.
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Designtech
Codesign workshop
Transforming technology into Experience
The process begins by aligning the company's value proposition with the needs and expectations of its target audience. It starts with a clear understanding of the concept's main purpose, identifying core problems and uncovering opportunities for innovation.
In the second step, the focus shifts to analyzing the target audience: transforming research findings into specific design challenges and crafting clear, actionable problem statements that gather insights and requirements from the market.
Step three revolves around shaping the value proposition—defining the concept’s look and feel, and establishing new ways to engage with the target audience.
The final step involves mapping the customer experience to define functional requirements and summarize the concept's key points.
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Hi-Interiors
UX/UI Design
App Hi-Interiors
Our product features interactive controls via a mobile app, enabling users to command smart functionalities such as lighting, ambient settings, and audio-video components. The design emphasizes intuitive navigation and visually appealing interfaces for a seamless user experience. Users can effortlessly adjust settings at home or remotely, ensuring they can create their ideal environment anytime, anywhere.
3.5
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Cosmob
Testing & quality
Le Bambole
In 1972 B&B made two types of sofas called “Le Bambole”, which won the “Golden Compass” prize in 1979 as one of the most relevant examples of Made in Italy products. Fifty years later, “Le Bambole” were redesigned including principals of circular economy in order to convert these products into more sustainable ones. The products have been redesigned to be more easily disassembled and recycled. Due to these changes “Le Bambole” had reached 81% in COSMOB’s certification of circularity of furniture products.
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Innovation System
Building management system
Energy consumption optimization
Innovation System optimized the energy consumption of Conceria Zonta by implementing the IoT platform OnSystem. This platform monitored and managed energy flows in detail, leading to cost reduction, a lower environmental footprint, and improved operational efficiency. It provided real-time data, facilitating strategic decisions and continuous improvements in energy management.
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Materially
Material innovation
Fizik Antares Versus Evo 00 Adaptive
Selle Royal Group involved us in the research for new solutions for the saddle’s comfort. We explored various possibilities both in terms of materials and manufacturing processes, taking into account the performance of the saddle, its lightness, and other parameters, such as manufacturability. Among the various solutions we proposed was a lattice structure to simulate the elasticity and responsiveness of polyurethane, which was eventually designed and produced by Carbon using SLS printed elastomers.
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Sustainme Hub
Life cycle assessment
AKOM coffee machine packaging
Rethinking the product, the business model, and the packaging Packaging made 100% from recyclable metal. Contains the equivalent of 30 coffee capsules. The materials of the container influenced the choice of production processes (cold extrusion and sheet metal bending) and consequently the thicknesses of the model on which weight calculations were then made. Among the processes considered were calculations for electrical energy consumption, production waste materials, materials for secondary and tertiary packaging, and finally their transportation at the national level.
Ecosystem
Designtech, Il podcast
Our Team
Designtech team brings together professionals with established backgrounds in different fields, with the common goal of building the future of habitats and cities by promoting open innovation programs that accelerate the growth of community members.
Graduated in Management at the Bocconi University of Milan, Ivan is a multifaceted business designer with a passion for visionary ideas that can improve people's lives and stimulate the best version of ourselves.
Graduated in Design with a Master in Marketing for Multimedia at the Politecnico of Milano, she has over 20 years of experience in fostering business innovation and promoting the digitalization of processes.
With a 20-year background in international marketing and communications, he has been regional and national President of Corecom and is now strategic marketing consultant for several major companies.
Graduated in Economics with a Master in Business Administration from SDA Bocconi in Milan, he has an entrepreneurial background of more than 20 years in the fields of Innovation & Innovative Ecosystem Development.
With an established 20-year background in listed multinational companies, Ilario has spent the last 15 years in the high-end bedding industry, first in the role of CFO and later as Managing Director.
Journalist, founder and director of Startupbusiness, the magazine about startups and scaleups. Curator of StartupDigest Italy, advisor to Austrian Business Agency, Fondazione Symbola, Quadrans Foundation,
TechChill Milano.
Entrepreneur with strategic and innovative vision. She joined Designtech with the responsibility of managing the CoFactory project, making the most of over twenty years of experience in the industrial plant sector.
With a master's degree in Spatial Design at Politecnico di Milano and experience in spearheading design and innovation projects, Bahar specializes in managing creative solutions and turning disruptive ideas into reality.
Administrative manager with twenty+ years of experience gained in multinationals. With her invaluable skills she contributes to the organizational growth of Designtech, effectively managing the accounting of the company and its startups.
Our Events
Our Events
Join our events to harness the network effect in Milan, home to the world's largest design ecosystem. Designtech is the new hotspot for innovation in the design industry.
Join our events to harness the network effect in Milan, home to the world's largest design ecosystem. Designtech is the new hotspot for innovation in the design industry.
OCTOBER 15
16:00 - 18:30
On stage, eight startups showcase the innovative potential of projects in the acceleration phase. Design Momentum: an opportunity to develop new solutions thanks to Designtech, CoFactory, and the Lombardy Region.
OCTOBER 15
16:00 - 18:30
On stage, eight startups showcase the innovative potential of projects in the acceleration phase. Design Momentum: an opportunity to develop new solutions thanks to Designtech, CoFactory, and the Lombardy Region.