Two teams from Sicily are among the protagonists of Changemakers, the enterprise acceleration programme promoted by Telecom Italia and Expo Milano 2015 with the ambitious aim of changing the life of 10 million people. Their innovative projects – Orange Fiber, developed by four young people from Catania, and PanPan, fruit of the talent of two young people from Enna and one from Catania, are in fact among the 10 best ideas selected at national level to be developed and transformed into sustainable and innovative potential startups.
Orange Fiber is a “social” fashion project that uses nanotechnology to transform citrus waste into raw material for textiles and clothing that can release vitamins in contact with the skin, to be made by women in difficult circumstances and disadvantaged people. Thought up by designer Adriana Santonocito, 35, and communications professional Enrica Arena, 27, the project also involves Stefania Cauzo, 27, graduate in business economics, and Manfredi Grimaldi, 32, expert in agro-food economics.
PanPan is a smartphone app that can send “geolocalised” questions, i.e. questions on issues that are inherent to specific areas, and identify the users present in the area at that moment most likely to be able to provide answers: a social information platform that can also be used as a B2B platform for surveys and market research. The team is made up of Antonino Famulari, 28, and Michele Spina and Walter Bellante, both 23, and they share experience of the social media study at Telecom ParisTech.
With the other 8 teams selected, both teams have started the process to develop their projects in the last few days, in a technology campus in Milan where the young talents will live and work together, in close contact, for the two months, with advice from an experienced and select group of experts, professionals, managers and creative people of proven competence as teachers and mentors. At the end of the acceleration period, the projects will be presented to a panel of potential investors and business partners who can guarantee their realisation.
Catania, 14 March 2013
