Pilot actions in Italy
The MaC Village world and its results are waiting for imitators. The following are products, services and regional development approaches that have emerged from MaC Village in Italy.
Micropaths of taste
The entrepreneurial subject identified for the management of the service is a Community Cooperative, which will work in cooperation with local enterprises (travel agencies, tourist accommodation enterprises, typical producers, environmental guides, museum managers, etc.). In a long-term view the Community Cooperative is also able to carry out other services, through public contracts (such as the management of green areas, some social and socio-welfare services) and private contracts (such as the guarding and maintenance of holiday homes). Here, the cooperation between traditional SMEs and CCIs consist mainly in two aspects: 1. Designing of the micro-paths concept to be promoted, taking into account web and social networks-based strategies related to the slow tourism segment; 2. Promotion and selling of the micro-paths through web and social channels as an experience to live the area’s typical traits and products. The pilot action was designed to involve all four pilot villages areas (Montesegale, Rocca Susella, Borgoratto Mormorolo, Borgo Priolo).
Oltrepo’ Brand
The objective is to build a network of local businesses (consortium), assisted by local creative businesses to identify innovative offline and online tools for the external promotion of the brand and also to provide a graphic design for the internal territorial identity (see project Living the Oltrepo'). CCIs play an important role since the region’s traditional enterprises do not own skills necessary to design a brand identity competitive on the market. The pilot action was designed to involve all four pilot villages areas (Montesegale, Rocca Susella, Borgoratto Mormorolo, Borgo Priolo).
Living the Oltrepo'
The entrepreneurial subject identified for the management of the service is Fondazione Futurae, a non-profit organisation established with the intention of giving continuity to the strategic experience of the network of the Authentic Villages of Italy, with particular reference to the themes of social development and sustainable local development. Here the cooperation between local actors (public administrators, enterprises, citizens) led to a new way of thinking local cooperation processes, that can be fostered through the application of models that the local communities never used before (design thinking, etc). The pilot action was designed to involve all four pilot villages areas (Montesegale, Rocca Susella, Borgoratto Mormorolo, Borgo Priolo).
