Friulia's bet on Truspace

FVG Region finance invests in 4Days innovation project. 

By now it's official: Friulia, the financial company of the Friuli Venezia Giulia region that focuses on leveraging innovative companies to ensure future-oriented growth in the region, is investing in 4Days and its Truspace project.

In fact, Friulia assessed 4Days' innovation project, which is based on digitization and the use of new technologies, as strategic, and decided to invest in the start-up in order to give it a greater boost on R&D and the introduction of talented resources, thus increasing the project's chances of success in the national and international.

"We did not hesitate in focusing on 4Days," comments Federica Seganti, President of Friulia, "innovation, territoriality and planning are values that our companies share. In fact, 4Days is dedicated to the growth and development of a network of virtuous companies that, from today, will be able to optimize and simplify their work thanks to the new Truspace platform. Friulia will therefore work alongside 4Days by providing managerial and financial advice that is the result of more than 50 years of experience supporting companies in Friuli Venezia Giulia with the ambition to expand their business and face the new challenges launched by internationalization. We are talking about more than 200 million euros currently invested in almost 90 investee companies, 80% of which are SMEs, which achieve an aggregate turnover of about 2.5 billion euros employing more than 9 thousand employees. A real network that today includes 4Days and will continue to grow in the coming years."

This is a confirmation for 4Days, which opens a horizon of serenity and depth of action and enriches the quality relationships close to the project: from institutional partners such as Friuli innovazione and University of Udine, to technical partners such as Webratio, BimO, Sacee and WeScan up to strategic industry clients such as Cimolai, ACPV Architects, Philipp Morris, CPL, Udinese Calcio, etc.

The approval came following a thorough due diligence process, which verified the characteristics of the project, the professionalism present in 4Days, and the fundamentals for a sustainable business and company model. The result was an institutional and strategic alliance, which we reconstruct with 4Days co-founders Marco Lotti and Emilio Ziraldo.

Let's start in order, when and on what assumptions was the TRUSPACE project born?

Marco Lotti: "The project was born four years ago. Analyzing the construction sector, we intercepted in BIM a methodological form that -as already in other sectors- could have brought a deep discontinuity. On this prospect-first as a business unit then as a start-up-we decided with Emilio Ziraldo to invest by creating a team that would work in depth on the methodology and on an application development project, in collaboration with universities, sector industry, and public administration."

The BIM universe was already vibrant and populated back then, what area was discovered?

Marco Lotti: "In the exploration done in the digital sphere, we immediately found great dynamism on the technical areas of BIM but, paradoxically, the almost total absence of solutions working on process integration, one of the paradigms of BIM. On this we began prototyping by giving our interpretation: we wanted to create a digital architecture to support and manage the entire asset lifecycle. We were then fortunate to intercept top-level players looking for a solution that liked our approach."

What was the first response?

Emilio Ziraldo: "The work conducted as a business unit has brought us positive feedback and gratification. The solution developed has subsequently generated positive feedback from partner companies that are already benefiting significantly from its use. Hence the decision to push toward the creation of a real start-up, increasing investment in R&D and relationships with industry interlocutors, both nationally and internationally. The entry of Friulia, as well as the collaboration with the University or the relationship with high-level customers, allow a further step on the profiled path."

What will be the first impact of Friulia's entry?

Emilio Ziraldo: "Today we look to the future with equal commitment and seriousness but with more resources at our disposal. Putting in place not only tools and consulting services but a highly innovative digital solution integrated along the entire construction supply chain. Our team will be strengthened in the coming months second with the integration of established experienced professionals and quality young people."

And secondly, do you foresee an acceleration to the development plan?

Marco Lotti: "Any strategic planning when it meets with market favor must plan to follow that favorable horizon with speed and pace. The triggering of the partnership with Friulia puts legs to a structure of thought, giving us the opportunity to accelerate while maintaining what we value most: quality of relationship and service. And loyalty to a goal, accompanying companies on a path to success. The change of pace allows us a more effective time to market by envisioning Truspace presenting itself in the markets without presumption but with courage and serenity."

How does this startup dialogue with the 4Days working group?

Emilio Ziraldo: "It expresses and integrates perfectly with the strategic competencies of the 4Days team. It is an innovation not only technological but methodological, because it involves the revision of organization, skills, processes, digital tools... activities in which we express the maximum of our capacity. It is a project that has a specific corpus and design, but it is in fact a direct emanation of 4Days' ability to work on complex scenarios that jointly involve digital organization, processes and strategy. Of course we integrate when necessary other specialized skills related to, for example, technical, legal or asset management aspects."

Will there be an impact on the corporate structure?

Emilio Ziraldo: "Yes, together with the entry of Friulia there will be the entry in the corporate structure of some key figures who have worked so much and generously with us in this project front (I am talking about Cristiano Di Paolo, Gabriele Cossu, Alessandra Commisso and Giovanni Carta). This is a willingness we express in recognition of the professionalism and the path so far."

What are the impacts of the project on the local area?

Marco Lotti: "Our intent is to trigger collaborative networks to do something concrete and distinctive on and for the territory, even as we work on an international methodology that leads us to look elsewhere. We live this step forward with the character trait that distinguishes Friuli Venezia Giulia, with moderation and responsibility, as a contracted development commitment with Friulia, with resources and clients. It is an honor for which we feel, in other words, the burden and responsibility."

A kind of circular pact, a "have and give back"?

Marco Lotti: "We like the idea of nurturing an excellence of the area with respect to such a promising prospect that has wide unwritten spaces. To write even one line of this story, will be a source of great pride. The context in which we find ourselves expresses excellence with respect to which digital will be one of the vectors of growth. Riding this scenario in depth and in advance can be a fundamental arrow of development and one that will lead the world to look at Friuli Venezia Giulia with interest."