This document summarizes the development of a world-class cosmetics cluster in Crema, Italy that was born from the reindustrialization of the historic Olivetti settlement. Key steps included mapping local industry specializations, analyzing the cosmetics value chain with local companies, prioritizing initiatives like improving visibility and training, and establishing a cluster organization called Polo Cosmesi with over 150 member firms that benefits from joint initiatives, services, and internationalization support. The success of the cluster is attributed to strong leadership, a willingness to evolve, active involvement from public and private partners, and a focus on building trust between members.

1. World class cluster born on reindustrialization of Olivetti
settlement
Ilaria Massari
Parallel 4.3 Topics on New Cluster Trends
12 November 2014

2. CITY OF CREMA,
IN LOMBARDIA REGION (ITALY)
Lombardia Region (one of the 4 Motors of
Europe )
- Population : 9,7 million
- Entreprises: more than 800.000
- It generates 25 % of GDP of Italy
- 13 of the major Italian University
Crema city and area
- in the heart of Po river valley
- 165.000 inhabitants
- Close to Milan and other main industrial cities
- Hystoric center and dynamic atmosphere

3. OLIVETTI IN BRIEF: A GREAT AND
UNIQUE INDUSTRIAL STORY
Olivetti dynasty was full of farsighted entrepreneurs.
Camillo Olivetti, the father of Adriano, studied electronics in the Nineteenth
Century, in 1880. He went from Italy to vist Palo Alto, at the development
of Silicon Valley. In US he understood the social value of business.
He saw there for the first time the mechanical typewriters.
He came back to Italy, in 1908 he founded the first national typerwriter
production where he started to develop the first electric typewriter in
the world.
Adriano Olivetti was an amazing forwardlooking entrepreneur, even more
than the father, setting the basis for the first commercial desktop
computer (Programma 101), which was produced in 1964 and had a
big success in the U.S. market.
More than 3000 employees, in Crema, and a total of more than 50.000 in
the best years.

4. OLIVETTI IN BRIEF: A GREAT AND
UNIQUE INDUSTRIAL STORY

5. INTANGIBLE ASSETS CREATED BY
OLIVETTI: COMMUNITY VALUES
«COMMUNITY» , political Manifesto of Adriano Olivetti
- Advanced working organization
- Wellness of employees and participation
- Mondern open working space
- Design, music, poetry and games
- Shareholders value (community and citizens)
- Canteens and kindergardens
- Houses for employees
Olivetti considered himself in charge of the community
wellness. So did the entire company.

6. REINDUSTRIALIZATION PATH,
SINCE 1995 TO 2004
HUGE PROGRAM OF REINDUSTRIALIZATION
• Surface of 364.000 square meters
• More than 3000 employee and families
without jobs
• No services in the industrial area
• Dozens of SME of the chain without
contractors
• Public investment dedicated € 69 Mil.

7. REINDUSTRIALIZATION PATH,
SINCE 1995 TO 2004
GREAT RESULTS SERVICES CREATED
• REINDUSTRIA Agency, fully engaged in the
mission of reindustrialization
• UNIVERSITY course development and research
• CREMA RICERCHE – center for technology
transfer and start up, in close collaboration with
the University
• NEW FRAMEWORK CONDITIONS -
Renovation of framework conditions
(administrative and fiscal)
205 small and medium entreprises have started
in the following 10 years.
735 jobs created.

8. STEP 1: mapping
local
specialisation
(small and
medium
entreprises)
STEP 2: value
chain analysis
with direct
engagement of
companies in
order to define
priorities
STEP 3: need
analysis. Definition
of short term
ations and sharing
perspectives on
long term aims
STEP 4: planning
financial
sustainability for
each purpose and
monitor
STEP 5:
Strategic
assessment and
governance of
the whole cluster
initiative
2004, THE IDEA: CLUSTERING IN
ORDER TO OPTIMIZE EFFORTS

9. STEP 1: MAPPING LOCAL
SPECIALISATION (2005)
ACTIVITIES:
• Mapping the presence of relevant sector in the area
• 2 years of consultation between public and private entities
(triple helix model), generating a deep study on the area of Crema
“Il Cremasco” http://www.reindustria.com/notizie-studi-pubblicazioni.php
OUTCOME:
Identification of the local specialisation (small and medium entreprises)
• Cosmetic value chain
• Metalmechanic sector
• Agrofood chain
FIRST TARGET: the cosmetic sector (ON REQUEST OF LEADING ENTREPRENEURS). In 2005 Reindustria
verified the great concentration of cosmetic companies in the province of Cremona, through an accurate
mapping.

10. STEP 2: COSMETICS CHAIN
ANALYSIS (2005) - A -
ACTIVITIES: direct engagement of companies through surveys and meetings, in order to understand:
• value chains
• competitive forces
• growth rates of the sector
• needs and priorities of the chain
• perspectives on long term development
OUTCOME (2005):
• Public awareness of the presence and definition of the value chain involved.
• Analysis of the cosmetic cluster consistency in the Cremona Province: quantitative data highlighted
92 enterprises belonging to the cluster. 51 % of the occupational weight of the Italian cosmetic
sector is concentrated in Lombardy Region and 60 % of the Italian turnover is here produced.

11. STEP 2: COSMETICS CHAIN
ANALYSIS (2005) - B -
COSMETIC VALUE CHAIN of the COSMETIC SECTOR in Lombardia Region
1. direct producers of cosmetics and related products
2. contract packagers
3. designers and producers of primary packaging products
4. designers and producers of secondary packaging products
5. designers and producers of plant and machinery
6. specialist service companies
7. trading companies
Strengths: innovative cross-sector applications & great abilities of design and creativity

12. STEP 3: TARGET PRIORITIES AND
DEFINITION OF ACTIONS - A -
TOP PRIORITY (A), as defined by companies themselves:
 Cluster visibility and awareness
OUTCOME:
• Better analysis of value chain
• Website of cluster
www.polocosmesi.com

13. STEP 3: TARGET PRIORITIES AND
DEFINITION OF ACTIONS - B -
TOP PRIORITY (B), as defined by companies themselves:
 Professional training and investment in competence and
know how
OUTCOME:
• Cosmetic training center. In 2006 Lombardy Region funded the project Polo Formativo della
Cosmesi, with the aim of creating new professional profiles (cross setting)
• Collaboration with high schools, universities for Workshops, Seminars, Courses
• Collaboration with temporary job agencies for placement policy
• IFTS project : “Science and Technology in the cosmetic sector – technique of industrialisation for
product and process”
• Partecipation at 39° National Congress of SICC

14. STEP 3: TARGET PRIORITIES AND
DEFINITION OF ACTIONS - C -
TOP PRIORITY (C), as defined by companies themselves:
 Enhancing global dimension
OUTCOME:
• Collective participation at world exhibitions, in each
• Reinforcement of internationalisation policy of most of the companies

15. STEP 3: TARGET PRIORITIES AND
DEFINITION OF ACTIONS - D -
TOP PRIORITY (C), as defined by companies themselves:
 Innovation and quality
OUTCOME:
• High level expert cunsultancy support through scale economies
• Concrete innovation services; product and process innovation support
• Shared Technical Director service, - only one - Technical Director at disposal of all
the companies (in cooperation with Unipro Srl). Now working on cloud.
• Regulation Reliability path
• Shared Service for Regulation Consultancy (EU D 1223/2009, available on cloud)
• Support service for GMP – Good Manufacturing Practice

16. BOARD OF DIRECTORS
OF POLO COSMESI
It is composed by 8 magical enprepreneurs:
Matteo Moretti (Lumson Spa) President
Roberto Bernocchi - E.P.S. Group Srl
Marco Cicchetti - Omnicos Group Srl
Gennaro Mosti - Emme Erre Srl
Pierangelo Sanzanni - San Cosmetics Srl
Caterina Bondioli - Red of View
Ivan Massari - APS
Giovanni Ciliento - Baralan

17. BENEFITS FOR MEMBERS OF
POLO COSMESI, 150 FIRMS (2014)
Visibility
Costs
reduction
Better
guarantees for
clients
Update on time
on Regulation
Innovation
circulation
Increase in
Availability of
skilled human
resources
quality products

18. EXHIBITIONS: COLLECTIVE
PARTICIPATION AND MISSIONS
Cosmoprof Bologna, Italy
HBA, New York
Beyond Beauty, Paris
Make Up in Paris
Make Up in New York
Luxepack, Monaco
Beauty World Middle East, Dubai
China Beauty Expo, Shangai
Cosmoprof North America, Las Vegas
Cosmoprof Asia – Hong Kong
Cosmoprof San Paolo, Beauty in Brazil

19. INTERNATIONALISATION
SUPPORT
Internationalisation competence point, organising COLLECTIVE PARTICIPATION
in several international exhibition, almost every year.
Defining scale economies and participants +
Supporting access to public funds +
Booth organization in fairs +
Promotion =  business for all 
Summing companies participations in international fairs since 2006, there have
been 364 companies involved and 2.295.050 € invested by companies for
internationalisation purpose (little cofunds by Chamber of Commerce –
vouchers form)

20. GOING INTERNATIONAL
(2006-2014)

21. AGREEMENT WITH COSMETIC
VALLEY (FRANCE)
An agreement with Cosmetic Valley (Pole de Competitivité in France) has been signed in
December 2013, in order to collaborate on multiple scopes.

22. CORE COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE
OF POLO COSMESI
1. The Cluster Manager!  Alessandra Ginelli
2. Plug & play solution for plants
3. Services for start-ups by Crema Ricerche
4. Facility management by Chamber of Commerce of Cremona
5. Fundraising (public and private)
6. High specialization of human resources and focus on intangible assets
7. Reindustria support and tutorage

23. IN CONCLUSION, FOCUS ON
INTANGIBLE ASSETS
 LEADERSHIP of intangible assets is as much important as economic results.
 READINESS TO CHANGE : A cluster policy must evolve in time (plug&play mode)
 ACTIVE INVOLVEMENT : taking care about effective governance of the
partnership (public private alliances).
 AWARENESS : a cluster is a learning organism, so constant focus is to stimulate
collective learning and interactions between members.
 TRUST between members: it is not only trust in people, it is doing business with
people who believe what you believe.

24. Thank you
Ilaria Massari
Politecnico di Milano
Technical University of Milan – Campus of Cremona
CESVIN Innovation Development Center
ilaria.massari@cesvin.com
Innovation demand manager
facilitating development processes and social innovation, through linkages between
University and entreprises and focused public-private partnership
Creating shared value through clusters for a sustainable future
Creating intangible assets through aware clusters for a happy future