In the 1990 classic in economic strategy, The Competitive Advantage of Nations, business theorist Michael Porter wrote, “Most commentators on the Italian economy have persistently underestimated Italy, because they have applied American, German, or Japanese norms to an economy with a very different structure.” According to Porter, “The Italian success in fragmented industries and in competing with highly focused strategies…draws on unique attributes of the Italian environment.” For all that has changed in the decades since, Porter’s commentary across the book holds up astonishingly well, and his observations on Italian business strengths exemplify that.While Italy might lag behind similarly wealthy nations when it comes to industries requiring massive commitments of capital, the nation leans on its uniquely long history of aptitude in design to excel at agile technological innovation.This is perhaps what’s most promising about the additive manufacturing (AM) industry in Italy: as displayed, for instance, by the large-format robotic OEM, Caracol, which in early July announced a partnership to build an AM hub in Milan.
Caracol, the maker of extrusion systems including the Heron, is collaborating on the project with two equally creative counterparts: the Milan-based business incubator firm Designtech, and LAMÁQUINA, a design consultancy and AM services provider headquartered in Barcelona.By building the facility in Milan, the three partners aim to capitalize on the city’s unrivaled concentration of aesthetic expertise and innovative approaches across industries such as furniture, architecture, and construction.On a longer timeline, the trio of companies aims to build off of the Milan facility as a starting point for reaching the broader Italian economy.
If they’re successful, the partnership could become a springboard for connecting with businesses in many other countries, too, as foreign direct investment in Italy has been rising even as it has been falling in the rest of Europe.Large format additive manufacturing launches in Milan.In a press release about the AM hub being built by Caracol, Designtech, and LAMÁQUINA, Paolo Cassis, the COO and co-founder of Caracol, said, “Milan sits at the intersection of design, creativity, and industrial progress: this is the ideal place to gather all the players needed to make this ecosystem work.
This partnership reflects an integrated Made in Italy approach, valuing not just new design concepts but deep engineering know-how.Caracol’s role is to be the technological enabler of that heritage, building the tools to scale it globally.” Ivan Tallarico, the CEO of Designtech, added, “Designtech doesn’t build products.We build the ecosystem that makes breakthrough products possible.
We connect technologies, manufacturing capabilities, creative talent and industry partners into a single ecosystem where ambitious ideas become real products, spaces and businesses.” It’s notable that, along with two companies based in Milan, Caracol and Designtech have partnered with a Spanish company on a ‘Made in Italy’ project, which I think is an excellent idea.Trade between Italy and Spain has been soaring in recent years, and Spain also has a strong track record of cross-enterprise collaboration on AM.If the Milan hub is successful, there’s no reason why the same concept can’t be “imported” back into Spain.
Another aspect of LAMÁQUINA that’s relevant to what the collaborators are building is its academy offering.Beyond simply having experience in training people to use robotic 3D printing systems, LAMÁQUINA actually has experience selling its training capabilities as a service.I think this is a too-often-overlooked business opportunity for the AM industry — for instance, it’s always been one of my favorite things about EOS — and I doubt there are very many other services yet that do this specifically for robotic systems.
I think there’s every reason to expect that Caracol has a very bright future, and not just because of the $40 million funding round it landed almost a year ago.Among other things, the company was quite early to spot the 3D printed thermoplastic hull opportunity, which looks like it’s about to explode because of the rise in drone boat applications.It was also early in leveraging an extrusion-based process for furniture and architectural components, two other hot application categories.
So if Caracol is doing something, chances are it will prove to be a good idea.I’ll definitely be on the lookout for any future updates about the hub in Milan.Images courtesy of Caracol Subscribe to Our Email Newsletter Stay up-to-date on all the latest news from the 3D printing industry and receive information and offers from third party vendors.
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