The research project ‘(Eco) Sistema Design Milano’ developed a scientific inquiry, based on data and evidence, on Salone del Mobile.Milano, the Milan Design Week, and their impact on the city of Milan.

The research, promoted by Salone del Mobile.Milano (https://www.salonemilano.it/it), was carried out between January and November 2024 by the Department of Design of the Politecnico di Milano, in charge of the scientific supervision. The Department of Design research group included professors Stefano Maffei and Francesco Zurlo, in the role of principal investigators, professors Massimo Bianchini, Carla Sedini and Francesco Leoni as part of a research team transversal to the thematic groups Design+Strategies (D+S), Polifactory and the Design Policy Lab. The research activities were also supported by the School of Design and the Municipality of Milan.

Throughout its inqury, ‘(Eco) Sistema Design Milano’ proposed an interpretation of Salone del Mobile.Milano and Milan Design Week as interdependent elements, also connected to a specific socio-economic territorial system of design and the city of Milan.

Starting from this reading, the research provided several specific contributions:

• a picture updated to 2024 of Salone del Mobile.Milano and Milan Design Week, reconstructed together with the research promoter of the research. It is a snapshot of the two main events that take place annually in Milan in April, representing historically central reference points for the design culture worldwide, still today fundamental drivers of urban and regional economies;
• a mapping of the economic and cultural system of design in Milan. It is an update to 2024 through primary data of the system of design professionals, companies and education in Milan; referencing the Department of Design seminal research ‘Sistema Design Milano’ (Abitare Segesta Cataloghi, 1999),
• a prototypical reading of the impact that Salone del Mobile.Milano and Milan Design Week have on the city of Milan. The analysis is developed through a heterogeneous set of primary data shared by public and private data holders in the context of the research, involved through an exploration of their own data.

To strenghten the research and its results, the Department of Design also carried out several participation and consultation activities, including:

• a collective on-field observation, carried out in April 2024, of the events and exhibitions independently organised in Milan outside Salone del Mobile.Milano.
  The activity implied to coordinate more than 100 students participating to the Passion in Action didactic initiatives organized by the School of Design of Politecnico di Milano.
• a consultation event co-organised with Salone del Mobile.Milano attended by 133 representatives of stakeholder from the Milan design system, involved across industry, design, media, cultural production and local government.
  During the event, the participants were consulted through ten thematic working tables, led by selected content leaders and facilitators. The event was held in July 2024 at Spazio Convegni De Carli of the Campus Bovisa of the Politecnico di Milano.

The reporting of these activities and the analyses carried out were made available within the main result of the research, the publication: Annual Report 2024 ‘(Eco) Sistema Design Milano ’ published by Salone del Mobile.Milano.

Following the official presentation event of the report, which took place on 28 November 2024 at the Teatro Piccolo in Milan, this document can be accessed on the website of Salone del Mobile.Milano, after registration.

The research, and with it the Department of Design, enjoyed great exposure in the national and trade media, including Corriere della Sera, La Repubblica, il Sole 24 Ore, Interni Magazine, Wallpaper*, Design Diffusion World.

With the project ‘(Eco) Sistema Design Milano’, the foundations were laid for a future Furniture Fair Observatory: a permanent research platform aimed at identifying opportunities and challenges for Salone del Mobile.Milano and the city, towards future policy decisions that are more sustainable, inclusive and in dialogue with Milan.

Image Credits: ©Andrea Mariani - (Eco) Sistema Design Milano, Annual Report 2024 presentation. From left: Christian Rocca, Linkiesta Editorial Director, Maria Porro, Salone del Mobile.Milano president, Stefano Maffei, Full Professor at Department of Design - Politecnico di Milano, Francesco Zurlo, Full Professors of Industrial Design and Dean of the School of Design - Politecnico di Milano