Innovation in a complex industry

In the highly competitive sector of metal frames for chairs and tables, standing out is no easy feat. The industry is deeply influenced by production costs, standardization, and global competition. Yet it is precisely in such contexts that creativity and a willingness to think outside the box can make all the difference.

The Vicenza-based company Tecno Line Srl demonstrated this with a project that successfully combined design, education, trade fair strategy, and market positioning—and did so in its main market: Germany.

The idea: connecting education and industry

It all started with a simple but visionary intuition: involving a German design school, the Fachhochschule of Aachen, in a joint educational and industrial path.
Not just a design competition, but an integrated strategy that generated value on multiple fronts:

• product development
• communication
• trade fair presence
• brand strengthening in the reference market.

The project, step by step

• Engaging the professor and future designers
  A collaboration with Professor Matthias Rexforth, who proposed to his students the design of outdoor furniture made of metal and fabric.
• A meeting of creativity and industry
  Tecno Line showcased its production capabilities to encourage students to design with manufacturing feasibility in mind.
• Awards and technical development
  The best projects were selected and revised by Tecno Line’s technical team to make them production-ready.
• An international showcase at Interzum 2025
  The prototypes were exhibited in Cologne, with students actively present at the stand and a formal presentation at the fair’s Trend Stage.

Why this is a model to follow

• ✅ Think outside the box – Giving space to fresh ideas unburdened by market constraints opens up new perspectives.
• ✅ Show that you invest in R&D – Clients and partners recognize real commitment to innovation.
• ✅ Communicate with authentic content – A real story makes a trade fair presence more impactful.
• ✅ Speak the market’s language – In Germany, collaborating with a local university is not just strategic, but also a cultural signal that builds credibility.

Lessons for Italian design SMEs

This case shows that innovation doesn’t require massive budgets. What you really need is:

• clear ideas
• a willingness to experiment
• openness to collaboration with academia
• the ability to turn a trade fair into more than just a sales opportunity.

Congratulations to the Tecno Line team—with whom I had the pleasure of working—and in particular to Andrea Pizzato and Roberto Mottin for their commitment and passion.

💬 What about you? Do you know other successful cases of collaboration between companies and design schools?
Share them in the comments—because sharing good practices makes our entire system stronger.