FITT-NESS holds its final consortium meeting in Palermo and brings its cycle of business twinning actions to a close

As well as addressing outstanding tasks, the meeting enabled the partners to reflect collectively on the work carried out over the past few years and on the value generated through the project’s various activities. This look back also served as an opportunity to look ahead and begin exploring possible ways of ensuring continuity, so as to capitalise on the knowledge, methodologies and, in particular, the collaborative network built up during FITT-NESS.

In this regard, the meeting provided an opportunity to begin exploring initial ideas for what could, metaphorically speaking, become a ‘second instalment’ of FITT-NESS, building on the work already carried out and enabling us to tackle new challenges relating to the sustainable and digital transformation of businesses in the housing sector.

Following on from the consortium meeting, the third and final FITT-NESS Twinning Action also took place in Palermo, bringing together once again companies and business representatives from the Region of Murcia, Northern Portugal and Italy.

Throughout the project, these business twinning initiatives have enabled the participating companies to gain an insight into different European business environments, exchange experiences and learn first-hand how other companies are tackling common challenges relating to competitiveness, innovation, digitalisation and sustainability.

In this latest edition, the focus was on Sicily, enabling participants to gain a deeper understanding of the specific characteristics of its business landscape. Although its industrial base is different in nature and on a smaller scale than that of other territories participating in FITT-NESS, the region is home to companies and stakeholders with a significant capacity for specialisation, innovation and adaptation to new market challenges.

The programme combined technical knowledge, strategic reflection and direct contact with businesses. The sessions covered topics such as innovation applied to the furniture value chain, led by Fondazione MICS, as well as business planning and market analysis, brand building and the use of artificial intelligence in SMEs’ marketing strategies. A specific session was also devoted to the new environmental requirements affecting businesses, including aspects relating to the Minimum Environmental Criteria (MEC) and the new regulations on greenwashing.

During the event, the FITT-NESS Matching Tool was also presented to the companies; this is one of the tools developed as part of the project to help identify business opportunities and connections.

From the outset, one of the key elements of the Twinning Actions has been direct contact with businesses in each region. In Palermo, the participants had the opportunity to visit Mobili Frisina, where they learnt about the company’s business vision, its approach to sustainability and the integration of design with digital and technical processes. The day was rounded off with a second visit to Team Sofà, allowing the participants to gain a deeper insight into the production realities of the Sicilian home furnishings sector.

These visits enabled us to go beyond theoretical discussions and observe first-hand the characteristics of local businesses, their processes, their priorities and the challenges they face in their day-to-day operations.

The Palermo experience thus brought to a close a series of Twinning Actions that has linked businesses from different European regions and fostered mutual learning between territories with different economic realities but which face many shared challenges.

With FITT-NESS entering its final phase, the Palermo event represented much more than just a final meeting. It was an opportunity to share the lessons learnt, reflect on the relationships forged between partners, businesses and regions, and consider how to make the most of all that knowledge once the project has formally come to an end.

After several years of working alongside the business community in the home furnishings sector, FITT-NESS leaves behind methodologies, tools and results, but also a European network of companies and organisations that now know each other better, share common challenges and have new opportunities for cooperation.

Palermo marca, por tanto, el cierre de una etapa, pero también abre la puerta a pensar en el siguiente capítulo de FITT-NESS.

Funded by the European Union. The opinions and views expressed are, however, solely those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Innovation and SME Council Executive Agency (EISMEA). Neither the European Union nor EISMEA can be held responsible for them.