Two major accolades for the Belluno region highlighted the 2026 edition of the Open Innovation Days, the annual event organized by the ELIS Consortium that recently brought together corporations, startups, investors, foundations, and institutions in Rome for a wide-ranging discussion on the future of open innovation in Italy.
The 2026 Innovation Impact Award was presented to Dolomiti Innovation Valley, described as “Europe’s largest open-air laboratory”: an ecosystem where the local area, businesses, and research institutions collaborate to test innovation models designed for mountain environments.
The award recognized the progress made over the past seven years by Confindustria Belluno Dolomiti, during which businesses, institutions, universities, and local communities have collaborated to lay the foundations for what has now become a benchmark for regional innovation.
According to Michele Da Rold, Vice President, who accepted the award in Rome – this recognition confirms the validity of the path undertaken by our Association under the leadership of President Lorraine Berton. For the manufacturing sector, innovation and technological development are essential elements for sustaining growth. Investing in skills, technologies, and collaborative networks means laying the groundwork for the future today.
The award in the Corporate-Startup category went to Luigi Da Vià of Pieve di Cadore, a historic eyewear company based in Belluno, for a project developed in collaboration with Womat, a Neapolitan startup founded by five female scientists with over ten years of experience in the design of high-tech and eco-sustainable materials.
The project focused on the research and validation of new alternative thermoplastic materials for the production of eyewear components, with the goal of improving safety, sustainability, and aesthetic appeal while reducing production time, costs, and harmful substances.
The Proof of Concept tested new material blends through rapid prototyping and verified the feasibility of an industrial injection molding process.
Erminio Da Vià, the company’s owner, commented on the award as follows – We are particularly proud to receive this recognition, which honors not only our commitment to innovation but also the value of collaboration between companies and startups. The project developed together with Womat demonstrates how the cross-pollination of different areas of expertise can generate concrete solutions to make the eyewear industry increasingly sustainable, efficient, and forward-looking. For a company with our history, innovation means continuing to invest in research and development while maintaining the strong manufacturing roots that have always distinguished the Belluno region.
Both award-winning projects were found to align with the “Join the Impact Shift” theme of the 2026 edition of Elis’ Open Innovation Days, focusing on initiatives that prioritize collaboration and the ability to drive tangible transformation and impact for organizations, people, and communities.
