An overview of the Murano Glass Industry

1. I N T E R N AT I O N A L M A N A G E M E N T
Mele Federico
Manganiello Matteo
Luca Mariavittoria
Milluzzo Alberto
Tositti Giulia
Marangon Caterina
Ca’ Foscari University of Venice

2. M U R A N O G L A S S I N D U S T RY
A N A LY S I S O F A V E N I C E M A N U FA C T U R I N G D I S T R I C T

3. A L O N G T R A D I T I O N O F PA S S I O N

4. A B R I E F H I S T O RY O F M U R A N O G L A S S
• 1224: glass-makers already a trade
association
• 1291: Murano the only location of the
furnaces
• ‘400: “The Golden Age” of Murano Glass
Industry. New techniques of manufacturing.
• ‘800: Huge moment of crisis.
• Post II WW: raising of the most important
firms.
• 80-90's: huge growth, sales based on tourism
• There were 256 firms, 2000 employees, more
than 150 billions revenues, export was only
35%
“ T H E O L D E S T D I S T R I C T O F T H E W O R L D ” - G . S E G U S O

5. P I E R O N A S O N
" A I T E M P I D E I N O S T R I G E N I T O R I S I C O N S E G N AVA N O I P R O D O T T I A
S E I M E S I , N O N C I S I M U O V E VA D A Q U I , I C L I E N T I A R R I VAVA N O E L I S I
FA C E VA A S P E T TA R E . L E A Z I E N D E C H E H A N N O C H I U S O S I S O N O
T R A S F O R M AT E I N U N A P E R D I TA S E C C A D I O C C U PA Z I O N E , E D I I N T E R E
L AV O R A Z I O N I . I L S O F F I AT O D A I L L U M I N A Z I O N E , A D E S E M P I O , N O N S I
T R O VA P I Ù , P E R P R O B L E M I D I C O S T I , D I C O N C O R R E N Z A "
N A S O N M O R E T T I S R L
" O U R PA R E N T S W E R E U S E D T O D E L I V E R P R O D U C T S U P T O 6 M O N T H S
A F T E R T H E P U R C H A S E , W E D I D N ' T M O V E , C L I E N T S C A M E H E R E A N D
W E R E C O M F O RTA B L E T O WA I T. FA I L E D F I R M S B E C A M E A N E T L O S S I N
E M P L O Y M E N T A N D O F S P E C I F I C A RT I S A N A L S K I L L S . I L L U M I N AT I O N
G L A S S D O E S N ' T E X I S T A N Y M O R E B E C A U S E O F C O S T S A N D
C O N C U R R E N C Y "
from: “Il sole 24 ore”

6. I TA L I A N D I S T R I C T S D ATA
Growth of capitalization and decrease of debts,
while lowering tensions in cash flow management
shows the preference to solve problems internally
instead of asking third parts financial hepls
(banks). This approach has a negative effect, due
to firms composition: low managerial control and
skills led to this situation
EBITDA is positive while current liabilities are
bigger than current assets
Also noticeable is the incoming difference
between technological districts and traditional
ones: huge need of INNOVATION
A C C O R D I N G T O I N T E S A S A N PA O L O 2 0 1 3 R E S E A R C H

7. M U R A N O D I S T R I C T
F O C U S I N G O N

8. S O M E N U M B E R S …
• N° of firms in 2012: 502 (381 within 49 employees).
• Var % firms between 2011 and 2012: -6,52%
• Export 2012: 105 Mln Euro
• Var % of Export between 2011 and 2012: +3,96%
• Export 2013: 100 Mln Euro
• Var % of Export between 2012 and 2013: - 4,1%
• Legal battle for past national funding that UE is
considering as "State aid"
The Scenario is Changing

9. S W O T A N A LY S I S O F T H E D I S T R I C T
Strong Long-Lasting Tradition
Huge Manufacturing Ability
Niche Market (Luxury Products)
High Quality Products
Lack Of Cooperation
Strong Internal Concurrency
High Costs Of Production
Closed Minded
Innovation (3D Printing)
Customization Of Products
From B2C To B2B (On Contract)
Creation Of A Sharing Mentality
Counterfeiting From China
Dislocament On The Mainland
Focus Only On Tourism
Lack Of Protection
O P P O R T U N I T I E S T H R E A T S
W E A K N E S S E SS T R E N G H T S

10. M A N A G E M E N T V S T R A D I T I O N
• Globalization - Rise of foreign competition (North Europe,
Slovenia, Czech Rep.)
• Incumbents not able to communicate the story and values
of their products
• Lack of presence on the web (no digitalization)
• Low level of organizational strategy and business structure
• Moving the production from Murano to the mainland could
be a possible solution (cutting costs of about 30%) but with
the threat to loose the Murano’s millenary identity;

11. A B O U T W O R K E R S
During the last half century,
the number of workers within
the district has worryingly
fallen down, and, with it, also
a lot of firms go bankrupt.
This has led to a decrease
of political power
compared to bigger
districts and thus to a weak
regulation.

12. P R O M O V E T R O
T RY I N G T O S O LV E T H E P R O B L E M
• Consortium for the promotion of
artistic glass of Murano founded in
1985 by a group of craftsmen
producing artistic glasswork
• Two major representative groups
inside: the ‘Confartigianato
Venezia’ and ‘Confindustria
Venezia’
• It currently represents roughly 50
artisan and industrial enterprises on
the island of Murano
• The goal of this organization is to
safeguard, defend and promote
Murano’s one thousand years old
art

13. P R O M O V E T R O
I N I T I AT I V E S
“ E U R O P E A N G L A S S E X P E R I E N C E ”
• An international celebration of
contemporary glass art and its makers in
partnership with Finland, Poland, Spain,
Sweden, and the UK
• The objective is to support glass art both
as European common heritage and as a
platform for innovation by visual artists and
designers.
• In 2001 the Region of Veneto
entrusted to Promovetro the
promotion of the trademark
Vetro Artistico® Murano
(designed by Diego Lazzarini),
introduced and governed by
Veneto Region Law no. 70 of
the 23rd December 1994.

14. I S P R O M O V E T R O A U S E F U L R E A L I T Y ?

15. “ A B AT E Z A N E T T I ” F O U N D AT I O N
A T R A I N I N G R E S E A R C H C E N T E R B O R N F R O M M U R A N O ’ S T R A D I T I O N
B U T O P E N T O T H E W O R L D .
S C U O L A D E L V E T R O

16. TA G L I A P I E T R A
C H A N G I N G T H E A P P R O A C H
S E G U S O
S A LV I AT I

17. L I N O TA G L I A P I E T R A
A N I N T E R N A T I O N A L E X P E R I E N C E
E X P O S E D A T: S M I T H S O N I A N , C H RY S L E R M U S E U M O F A R T,
PA L M S P R I N G S A R T

18. A N A R T I S A N A G A I N S T T H E T I D E …
• Born in murano in 1934
• apprentice of the famous Archimede
Seguso at only 11
• becoming maestro at 21
• revolutionized glass blower technique
• at the end of the 70's travelled to USA
• since ’90 ACT WITHOUT ANY
CONTRACTUAL BINDS
• 1996 open “school of the glass” in
Seattle
• shares traditional venetian techniques
with american glassblowers
“ G L A S S I S A
W O N D E R F U L M A T E R I A L .
W H Y ? B E C A U S E T H E
G L A S S I S A L I V E . E V E N
W H E N I T I S C O O L , I T I S
S T I L L M O V I N G . I T I S
C O N N E C T E D W I T H F I R E ,
I T I S C O N N E C T E D W I T H
WA T E R , I T I S S O
N A T U R A L .
G L A S S I S M Y L I F E . ”
L I N O TA G L I A P I E T R A

19. A N A R T I S A N
A G A I N S T T H E T I D E …
• From Murano to Washington
• Renaissance in the Glass Art
• Open minded with the international
word
• Travels to the USA to promote his
knowledge through courses and lessons
• Founded a Museum-Laboratory in
Murano
• A recognizable style and superior
technique all over the world
• To grow a new generation of
glassmakers: open challenging atelier
capable to give experience and
stimulus
• Desire to have a big contemporary
museum

20. T H E PA S S I O N O F A FA M I LY
S E G U S O

21. M U R A N O G L A S S S E G U S O
F R O M 1 9 3 7
• Founded in 1937
• Long family tradition of Glass
Makers based in Murano
• 3 brands: Seguso Viro, Seguso
Interiors, Seguso Vetri d’Arte.
• Owners of: Cenedese Murano and
Gino Cenedese
• 2007: Seguso Vetri d’Arte again on
the hands of the family
• 2012, a new concept: Seguso
Experience
• 2013, n° of employees: 29
• Not only B2C but also B2B

22. B E Y O N D M U R A N O
• Also the B2B market represent an
important % of his income.
• Luxury product with high level of quality
• Seguso works a lot with foreign
committees (mainly artists and
architects)
• Strong International presence (America,
Asia and Arabia). Seguso USA
• Special Project Seguso: a division for
customized products. Pierpaolo
Seguso.
• Study of the project, making of
champions, photographic
documentation in the realization phase,
render production as a simulation of
the ambient
P R O J E C T F O R
“ F O U R S E A S O N S R E S O R T ” I N D U B A I

23. F I N A N C I A L T R E N D S
C C N
-500000
-375000
-250000
-125000
0
2011 2012 2013
P R O F I T S &
L O S S E S
-400000
-300000
-200000
-100000
0
100000
200000
300000
2011 2012 2013
R O E
-80
-40
0
40
80
2011 2012 2013
R O S
-12
-6
0
6
12
2011 2012 2013
• L O S S E S : - 3 8 1 1 0 8 • R O E : - 7 0 , 6 8 • R O S : - 1 1 , 0 2 • C C N : - 2 5 3 8 3 6

24. S E G U S O
E X P E R I E N C E
W H Y T H I S I N I T I A T I V E ?
• Tell the story of the Italian “saper
fare”
• “Bello & Ben Fatto” linked to a
subjective idea of craft work.
• Creation of cultural and social
relationships through the visual
experience
• Quality means instill in the customer
the willing to become an
ambassador of the product
• A chance for the entrepreneur to
understand mistakes and new market
opportunities
• From the “culture of secret" to a
“culture of the story-telling”

25. S A LV I AT I
A N E W WAY O F T H I N K I N G T H E G L A S S

26. • Founded in 1859
• 11 employees
• Faced a crisis from 2007 to
2012 due to huge debts
• From 2011 owned by Umana
Forma S.r.l.
• Works with several
important designers
• An innovative way of
thinking the business
S O M E I N F O R M AT I O N S

27. F I N A N C I A L S I T U AT I O N I N 2 0 1 4
• L O S S E S : - 7 7 1 1
R O E
-80
-60
-40
-20
0
20
2012 2013 2014
C C N
-300000
-150000
0
150000
2012 2013 2014
R O I
-3
-2,25
-1,5
-0,75
0
0,75
1,5
2012 2013 2014
P R O F I T S
& L O S S E S
-12000
-9000
-6000
-3000
0
3000
2012 2013 2014
• R O E : - 7 9 , 2 3 • R O I : - 1 , 6 7 • C C N : 3 4 5 6 1

28. W H E N T H E T R A D I T I O N O F G L A S S M E E T S
T H E I N N O VAT I O N O F 3 D P R I N T I N G
• Two famous designers:
Lanzavecchia & Wai
• An innovative way to promote
and produce murano glass.
• An internationalization process:
The New Italian Design
• Rhizaria around the world in
the last few months. (Corea,
Beijing, Istanbul, San Francisco,
Santiago del Cile, Madrid, etc.)
S A LV I AT I F O R . E X N O V O

29. B R E A K I N G T H E
M O U L D
W H E N T H E T R A D I T I O N O F G L A S S M E E T S
T H E I N N O VAT I O N O F 3 D P R I N T I N G
• A project started in 2011 by Dario
Stellon
• A new way of thinking the
relationship between design and
glass crafting
• VENICE >> FUTURE
• Salviati & ReggianiCeramica
• The definition of a new or many
alternatives ways of sustainable
production
• Union of tradition and innovation

30. O U R F I N A L C O N S I D E R AT I O N S
To grow and expand internationally:
• open minded and sharing of Venetian manufacturing knowledge
(Tagliapietra);
• transmission of the product’s value (Seguso);
• innovative ways: 3D Printing (Salviati);
• more promotion of the Glass Culture trough the web (video, blog,
etc.).

31. T H E P R E S E N TAT I O N I S O V E R
THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION