Air Tech Italy spoke to our different Board Members after their nomination to understand their focus, their role and how they see the future.
On this page we will highlight some of the inputs we got from them. You can find an overview of all our Board Members here.
First up is Marco Colombo (on the right), in charge of product and sales for Public Seating at leading specialized furniture company Tecno.
Can you explain us how you see your role as a Board Member, why you decided to become a Board Member and what are the plans you have for your segment within Air Tech?
Marco: ”As a new board member, my role is conceived to contribute to strategic insights as leaded by more experienced colleagues.
I really believe how unique Italy and Italians are, and I believe an Italian Association is the a way to support and promote Made in Italy, worldwide.
My suggestions for the Terminal Segment would be based on :
- A better learning and comprehension of all the skills of the companies registered within this segment as they may be so different, such a difference in expertise can lead to a better collaboration between members.
- Promoting Italian creativity and know-how within the airport industry: the elegance, the hospitality, Italian innovation and high tech under the “Made in Italy” framework.
- Supporting the implementation of workshops on airport procurement with major Italian and European players, starting from the work done to date through the participation and the presence at international trade missions, with the support of the Agency for Development Cooperation, ICE, Maeci.
- Continuity with the path laid out by the previous ATI Board to enhance the commitment and the attention of all Member companies when it comes to sustainability.
Can you tell us how your “Terminal” segment will evolve in the coming years, what role do you see for it within the aviation world, what key trends and what changes/challenges ahead?
Marco: “The terminal segment is indeed so varied and dissimilar to many other segments as it ranges from Baggage and Cargo Handling, to Finishing or Accessories, Floors, Ceilings, to any kind of fixed or loose furniture, Seats (the focus of our business division inside Tecno Spa), Signage, Passenger Handling and so on … This means that there are so many different potential trends which I have acquainted myself, with the help of the different other associated companies.
Based on my direct experience related to the specific products we offer (as Tecno) inside the Terminal, I would consider the following as a guidance to meet or follow the current trends and future projects or product development :
- Meet standards: In the largest possible meaning (including quality standards, sustainability, wellness, decarbonization, gender equality, women’s empowerment principles, reduction of emissions or our production, ….. )
- “Home feeling” product solutions : developing furniture that creates ( in Public Spaces likes Airports ) a sense of warmth, comfort, and relaxation to compensate somehow the anxiety of a flight.
- Sales rigor, Networking, and “deals on price” remains the way the seating industry seems to be done, especially when it comes to public money funded projects.
- Offer solid warranties and good maintenance service / after-sales service;
- The capacity to represent ourself as an owner’s design partner : Position ourselves as a problem solver to assist with Airport Design through the different requests.
- Represents us (both Tecno as well all ATI members) more as a ‘design partner’ not only as “reliable suppliers.”
Many thanks Marco for these great insights! Good luck with your new role. For further details please contact Marco and check out our Board Members on this link.
Roberto Weger, in charge of Innovation at leading voice communications specialist SITTI was our second interviewee. He was already a Member of the Board previously.
Roberto, can you explain how you see your role as a Board Member, why did you decide to become a Board Member and what are the plans you have for your segment within Air Tech Italy (ATI)?
Roberto: “As a founding member of ATI, our company SITTI, had and still has as an objective to find partners that could complement our offer, thus being able – together – to propose a wider portfolio of products and services to our customers, with special attention to integrated solutions.
This objective has only been partially achieved for a number of reasons. The very positive experience of the past three years, made me want to further contribute by completing the task that was started, not only for SITTI, but for all companies belonging to ATI and to create a deeper synergy between them.”
Can you tell us how your segment will evolve in the coming years, what role do you see for it within the aviation world, what key trends and the changes/challenges ahead.
Roberto: “The ATC/ATM sector I am representing is steadily evolving thanks to the introduction of new technologies, new concepts and new standards. The main international regulators and standardization bodies are creating a large number of new challenges for our industry, challenges that are significantly impacting the ATC/ATM sector. Just a few examples: the virtual ATC, free routes, data centres (referring to the ADSP and ATSU concepts), drones and flying taxis, a flight centric air traffic control, the integration of many different sources of information, etc.
Following all these upcoming changes is not easy, but the presence of major players in the sector within ATI (examples: ENAV, LEONARDO and SITTI) will provide the association with valuable inputs that can be used to agree on common strategies and better understand the potential impact on other sectors and business areas.”
Many thanks Roberto for these great insights!
Good luck with your role. For further details please contact Roberto and check out our above mentioned Board Members link.