A conversation with Rodrigo Rodriquez, president of Material ConneXion Italia.

Material ConneXion is the major research and consulting centre for innovative materials and production processes in the world, with a Material library of over 7000 materials and processes steadily updated and selected. Founded in New York by George Beylerian in 1997,  it’s operating in Italy since 2002 and has recently celebrated the first ten years of activity in Italy with a new office in Milan, where we meet its president,  Rodrigo Rodriquez,  who became majority shareholder in  2011.

“Now the mission of Material ConneXion Italia is to help, in particular, the small and medium-sized companies nationwide in getting competitive advantages through the supply of services and materials visibly ground-breaking. Our ambition is to extend further the presence of  Material ConneXion Italia by supplying information in terms of knowledge, also by approaching its interlocutors more and more, through new centres in the chief production districts”.

Besides exhibitions, workshops, conferences and seminars, the most interesting activities include the project A designer for the enterprise, “ proving the growing interest of the Chambers of Commerce in clarifying the local potential of innovative talent –  Rodriquez states – it’s a precious opportunity also for those students who get in touch with companies and have the chance to see new products developed from their ideas”.

Material ConneXion will exhibit a selection of innovative materials at Salone del Mobile 2013 , in a stand carried out in partnership with Akzo Nobel.