Technological innovation has always featured prominently at HostMilano, whose next edition will be held at fieramilano from 13 to 17 October. This is the two-yearly trade fair where the world’s leading players preview their new, most cutting-edge solutions.

But innovation is not just about technology. It also involves synergies and the ability to create a “system”. A good example is Waico, the group created out of a union between leading Italian bakery equipment concerns: Vitella, Starmix, Effedue, Flamic and Italforni. In order to emphasise the new approach to Italian manufacturing excellence, it will be at Host 2023 with a large stand of its own. In the words of Matteo Beraldi, brand manager for Waico’s Italforni: “For us, innovation is above all technological. Ever smarter, more high-performance machines that are able to support the professional at all stages in the working process through input, personalised programmes and dedicated apps for remote management.”

“All our innovations,” Beraldi goes on, “are the result of a research process in which we listen carefully to understand the real needs of a rapidly evolving market. We have our own in-house R&D team which, in collaboration with technical food experts and engineers, develops new tools and manufacturing processes that can offer the highest quality standards through laboratory tests carried out in company and with top certification bodies. We will be bring a range of new ideas to Host 2023 including integrated systems for the whole production chain.”

An approach that places the real needs and habits of users at the centre, as well as focusing on environmental concerns and sustainability. “The technological evolution of our products is linked to comfortable living and to improving physical and mental wellbeing inside our buildings,” agrees KE Outdoor Design, a brand in the BAT group, which for over 35 years has been one of the leading manufacturers of components and accessories for shading systems. “Temperature regulation, lighting, air quality, privacy, integration with home automation systems and energy saving are the technical prerequisites of all new KE products.”

“In recent years, we have completely revamped our production systems, promoting streamlined, automated processes to cater to the demands of a market that is looking for an increasingly high level of quality and customisation. KE’s latest product is Sunlight: an innovative bioclimatic outdoor room made of aluminium and glass that can be used all year round: each glazed side can be screened by a roller blind in order to adjust the amount of sunlight coming in.”

It is a more holistic way of approaching innovation, which can even be interpreted as a philosophy or seen as a metaphor, as Federica Comerio, marketing manager at Brema Group explains: “Ice as a material. Ice as a metaphor. Ice as a natural feature. For us, ice is innovation and for anyone choosing a Brema Group product, ice has a value. These are the elements on which we based the Green-Tech Design approach behind the restyling of one of Brema Group’s flagship products: the CB family of ice makers. Every aspect of the process, from production to final disposal, takes account of the environmental impact, starting with the materials used and how they are assembled.”

“Green-Tech Design is study, design and awareness, up to the possibility of end-of-life recycling of all the materials used. The professional CB ice makers come in an Ice Cube version (a traditionally-shaped, gourmet ice cube, greatly appreciated by bartender managers) and in a B-Qube version: ice with a trendier, chunkier look that is very much in demand among Mixology artists”, Comerio says finally.