MITICA on Tour – A Journey Through Innovative SMEs

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Innovation and competitiveness: Italian and Swiss companies meet in Ticino

 

Plastifil and Variosystems hosted the second stop of MITICA in Tour in Mendrisio. Fondazione Agire, the Swiss lead partner of the Interreg project, promotes the exchange of expertise between SMEs from the two regions.

 

The experiences of Plastifil SA and Variosystems were at the heart of the second stop of “MITICA in Tour – A Journey Through Innovative SMEs”, which brought together representatives from 15 Italian and Swiss companies in Mendrisio.

The event provided an opportunity to exchange insights on production processes, business organisation and growth strategies, showcasing two different industrial models united by a shared focus on innovation and competitiveness.

The initiative is part of the Interreg Italy–Switzerland project “MITICA – Innovative Models for Transferring Advanced Skills to Businesses”, for which Fondazione Agire serves as the Swiss lead partner. The project encourages connections between companies from both regions and the sharing of experiences and solutions that can be applied to their respective production environments.

“Innovation in Ticino's SMEs is often incremental and takes shape through the opportunity and ability to integrate new technologies into business processes to increase productivity and added value,” highlighted Martino Piccioli, President of Plastifil and Vice President of AITI, the Ticino Association of Industries. “Collaboration with Italian companies has historically provided opportunities to leverage synergies and identify complementary capabilities, strengthening the competitiveness of our industrial sector both in the domestic market and internationally.”

 

Two industrial experiences, one common challenge

 

The visit to Plastifil focused on the integration of automation, human expertise and resource optimisation in the production of high-value-added products. This approach demonstrates that innovation is not only about technology, but also about how work and processes are organised.

“Operating in the industrial sector in Ticino means making the best possible use of available resources and expertise to develop high-value-added projects for the Swiss or global markets,” highlighted Martino Piccioli, President of Plastifil and Vice President of AITI, the Ticino Association of Industries. “Collaboration with Italy often plays a key role: it enables companies to connect complementary capabilities and develop projects that help Ticino businesses address the challenges posed by today's complex markets.”

At Variosystems, discussions focused instead on managing international growth. Continuous improvement, 5S practices and process standardisation were presented as essential tools for ensuring quality and efficiency within an organisation operating on a global scale, while maintaining strong ties to locally developed expertise.

 

Cooperation as an opportunity for SMEs

 

Following the first stop, held on 15 June in the Lecco area and dedicated to robotics and automation, the event in Ticino broadened the discussion to include production and organisational aspects. Company visits and exchanges among participants provided opportunities to share experiences and reflect on methods and solutions relevant to their respective businesses.

“Events like this contribute to the growth of our companies because they bring together entrepreneurs who share a common vision and face similar challenges across the Insubric region,” observed Matilde Petracca, Secretary General of Confartigianato Imprese Lecco. “The real value lies in returning to one's company with a broader perspective, ideas for improvement and the opportunity to adapt methods and opportunities discovered during the visits to one's own business.”

Through MITICA, Fondazione Agire helps create opportunities for networking and knowledge transfer between companies, promoting cross-border collaboration as a means of supporting innovation and competitiveness among SMEs.

 

Further information about MITICA and its training courses is available at: www.mitica-interreg.org.