New areas of MIND open to the city and new construction sites launched in WESTGATE

  • Between completed areas and ongoing construction sites, the development of MIND is now already more than one-third complete.
  • Big Spaces launches Big Theater, providing MIND with an event space for 3,500 people
  • Valore Italia promotes education with the Botticino Restoration School and the ITS CIMA Campus
  • Federated Innovation @MIND, through the voice of its recently elected President, presents some of the projects already underway that contribute to the development of smart cities, including "Rethinking School Spaces," the classroom of the future named after Elena Lucrezia Piscopia Corner, and "Sustainability & Circular Economy in Healthcare," an initiative to identify and integrate technologies for the circular management of water resources and wastewater in the hospital sector.
  • EsselungaLab has opened, a retail laboratory combining a market and restaurant created for the MIND community, where new services and technologies can be tested.
  • MIND Innovation Week returns on May 5, with the second edition of the festival of innovation made in MIND

Milan, March 19, 2024 – Lendlease inaugurates the construction site for new mixed-use residential and commercial buildings in the western part of MIND, Milan Innovation District, called Westgate, and completes the development of MIND Village.

At today's public ribbon-cutting ceremony held at MIND, Lendlease handed over to the city the first phase of the private development known as MIND Village, created from the regeneration of the former Expo 2015 buildings, and announced the start of a new phase of development in the district.

The event was attended by Giancarlo Tancredi representing the Municipality of Milan, the Mayor of Rho, Andrea Orlandi, and with the special participation of the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Finance, Lucia Albano. The meeting was introduced and moderated by Stefano Minini, who has taken on the role of Project Director – Ecosystems (Europe) at Lendlease, with the task of launching the innovation ecosystem created at MIND on Lendlease projects across Europe.

"Since the beginning of the 99-year project, our challenge has been to build a cutting-edge city at MIND," said Lendlease manager Stefano Minini, "a completely decarbonized area dedicated to innovation and attentive to the needs and well-being of those who live there today and will live there tomorrow: workers, doctors, professionals, researchers, students of today and those of the future university campus. MIND is an ambitious, long-term project framed within a public-private partnership where Lendlease, as a private partner, has the honor and responsibility of building, with the involvement of institutional investors, one of the districts that best represents Milan in the world. Thanks to the work carried out so far, the MIND ecosystem includes hundreds of public and private entities (more than 50 of which are already established) and has become a benchmark model that, as a multinational group, we are exporting to our global network of projects and developments, starting with those already launched in London.

Fabrizio Zichichi, Executive Project Director at Lendlease, presented the new developments in the district. MIND is already fully operational and is entering the peak of its development, with over 7,000 people visiting every day (including patients and staff at the IRCSS Galeazzi Sant'Ambrogio Hospital) and offices, laboratories, and businesses of over 40 private organizations. Furthermore, with the start of the new construction sites for the State University Campus and Westgate, the development will reach over a third of the total MIND area, more than 1 million square meters of total surface area.

"Just three years after work began and two years after the first opening to the public, we have completed the MIND Village multifunctional hub and started to develop a new area," said Lendlease manager Fabrizio Zichichi, illustrating the new developments. . "Today, we are starting with the development of strategic buildings in Westgate, MoLo, and Horizon, which will be followed by the start of construction of other planned buildings, including residential ones, depending on the commercial agreements that are being finalized. Today, we are giving back a new piece of the city, which amplifies MIND's urban vocation: an area of Milan that now includes not only workspaces, but also meeting places, public spaces, restaurants, schools, gyms, event spaces, and a supermarket, all characterized by a vocation for innovation and experimentation with solutions aimed at improving the user experience and environmental impact. The goal is to test technologies at MIND that will be applied on a large scale in cities and around the world."

The event was also attended by AREXPO President Alberto Grando, Fabrizio Ravicino, Director of REAM SGR Real Estate Funds, and Tom Jackson, Managing Director and Head of Real Estate Europe at CPP Investments, as well as new voices in the innovation ecosystem: Andrea Baccuini, Founding Partner and CEO of Big Spaces, who presented the new and already operational Big Theatre, an event space and attractive hub, and Salvatore Amura of Valore Italia, promoter of CIMA – Campus ITS MIND Academy, the first ITS Campus in Italy, and the Botticino School of Restoration, whose university course represents a cutting-edge center for research and innovation in the conservation of historical, cultural, and artistic heritage.

Fabrizio Grillo, the new President of Federated Innovation @MIND, also spoke, sharing his vision for the development of the network. Particular attention was paid to projects related to the city of the future and the future of health, two issues on which the companies belonging to Federated Innovation @MIND are collaborating. Specifically, the projects Rethinking School Spaces –the classroom of the future named after Elena Lucrezia Piscopia Corner, the first woman to graduate in Italy, born from the collaboration between Valore Italia and WINDTRE, Cisco, Saint-Gobain, and Schneider Electric – and Sustainability & Circular Economy in Healthcare, an initiative launched by Bracco, SYNLAB, Stevanato Group, and IRCCS Ospedale Galeazzi (San Donato Group) that focuses on identifying and integrating technologies for the circular management of water resources and wastewater in the hospital sector. Another important success of Federated Innovation @MIND that has been brought to attention is the collaboration between Elt and Lendlease in the creation of a start-up, E4Life, born from an important technological innovation that has given rise to the new domain of Bio-defense, bringing together expertise from different thematic areas at the service of the City of the Future. Today, E4Life is a company that is part of Federated Innovation @MIND and has brought to market a group of innovative products capable of inactivating viruses and pathogens through the use of the electromagnetic spectrum.

Milan City Councilor Giancarlo Tancredi "An idea of a contemporary and future city is growing, in line with the world's major metropolises, capable of establishing a new relationship of reciprocity with the surrounding areas and neighborhoods," comments City Councilor for Urban Regeneration Giancarlo Tancredi. An area that has made innovation, major public functions, and sustainable architecture its hallmark, increasingly closer to the full realization of one of the most significant interventions in the regeneration process that Milan is undergoing."

Mayor of Rho Andrea Orlandi: "MIND has been up and running for some time now, and the inauguration of new spaces represents a growing area, especially with a focus on new technologies, offering opportunities for local businesses and schools. Westgate will be built in the Rho area and will be the gateway to the MIND area from our city, a connection that we have taken particular care to develop with the attention it deserves. As an administration, we are following every step, thinking about the influx of many people who will find work here and learn about our city community and become part of it."

Undersecretary at the Ministry of Economy and Finance Lucia Albano "We are observing with interest the evolution of the experience in Milan and MIND in particular, as a reference model in Italy and Europe. Urban regeneration and the transformation of real estate assets are a factor of growth and development for the country that, more than others, addresses the environmental and social challenges of our time and deserves the attention and support of politicians. Urban regeneration, implemented on such a large scale, can be an excellent lever for rethinking housing policies and attracting investment for the country and future generations. We need to think about incentives to attract investment and involve private individuals in the sustainable transformation of the territory and respond to new housing needs."

Alberto Grando, President of Arexpo: "To develop MIND, Arexpo has focused on an alliance between institutions, universities, and private companies, and the results presented today demonstrate once again that the chosen path has proved successful. MIND continues to grow, and the development of the area dedicated to the private sector also confirms MIND's attractiveness as a place of excellence for the competitiveness of our country."

Fabrizio Ravicino, Director of Real Estate Funds at REAM SGR “REAM SGR has identified some interesting investment opportunities in the MIND area, which have been brought together in a multi-compartment real estate investment fund – the Cervino Fund – specially set up in 2022 and created in collaboration with the Lendlease group. Compartment B, dedicated to the construction of a student residence, is still in the placement phase.

The redevelopment initiative for the former Expo area is in line with REAM SGR's objectives, which include promoting initiatives that pursue urban regeneration, real estate enhancement, and support for the economy and employment with a view to ever-greater environmental sustainability.

REAM SGR's focus on the MIND area is directed both towards consolidating investments made in existing properties, which have been redeveloped and leased to innovative companies and businesses in the South Village, and towards the construction of two new student accommodation buildings at Westgate and East Gate. These initiatives have attracted the interest of institutional investors, banking foundations, savings banks, and social security institutions.

Tom Jackson, Managing Director, Head of Real Estate Europe at CPP Investments: “The life sciences sector in Europe remains a key area of interest for CPP Investments. We continue to invest in the project alongside our experienced global partner Lendlease and support their vision to create a world-class innovation district at MIND.”

Andrea Baccuini, founding partner and CEO of Big Spaces: "Big Spaces has a dual mission alongside Lendlease here at MIND. On the one hand, we are called upon to find a temporary or permanent use for the spaces in this rapidly evolving area. On the other hand, we want to help make the entire district increasingly attractive to citizens, visitors, and businesses, stimulating the emergence of new social dynamics of living and coexisting. On the stage. We begin with the Big Theatre, a new and large location, already available for use, capable of hosting events, shows, and communication projects. The strategic plans behind the (re)development of an urban area are also designed to stimulate interest in the area, making it an iconic destination capable of generating content and flows."

Salvatore Amura Valore Italia "The future of education presents us with fundamental challenges. Technological innovation and design thinking will radically transform the way we learn and prepare for the challenges of the modern world. Everything will increasingly be geared towards lifelong learning, a model in which learning to explore in depth will accompany us throughout our lives. Critical thinking, creativity, communication, and collaboration are the skills on which we are building the education of tomorrow: fundamental characteristics for adapting to a rapidly changing world and facing complex challenges. With Valore Italia, the Botticino School of Restoration, and CIMA – Campus ITS Mind Academy, we have launched this initiative in MIND, Milan's new innovation district, which lays the foundations for personal education so that learning becomes central to every daily activity.

Fabrizio Grillo, president of Federated Innovation: "We are delighted to be able to contribute to the development of MIND by presenting concrete innovation projects that arise from collaboration between companies. The initiatives that take shape within Federated Innovation bring us ever closer to the development of a sustainable city that responds to the challenges of the present and the future. Examples include the "Rethinking School Spaces" project, which proposes a new idea of educational space and leverages connectivity and artificial intelligence to make classrooms more sustainable, inclusive, and safe for students and teachers; as well as "Sustainability & Circular Economy in Healthcare," which aims to make water management in hospitals more sustainable. Over the next three years, we plan to work in an increasingly structured manner with the Anchors and other players in the MIND ecosystem to encourage as many new national and international companies as possible to join Federated Innovation. We are also committed to working to focus increasingly on technology transfer."

The inauguration of the new MIND area and the start of construction at Westgate also provided an opportunity to announce the next edition of MIND Innovation Week, the innovation festival, which will be held from May 5 to 11. Now in its second edition, last year's MIND Innovation Week saw over 6,000 people participate in more than 100 events over six days. MIND Innovation Week, which will end on Saturday, May 11, will be the moment to present the second edition of the annual report on the MIND ecosystem.

 

THE WESTGATE SHIPYARD

The construction site for the first buildings in the Westgate mixed-use private development area was inaugurated today with a ribbon-cutting ceremony by the authorities. Starting in the fall of 2023, construction work will focus for the next three years on this core of MIND's private development, which will connect work infrastructure, housing units, commercial and hospitality spaces covering an area of approximately 200,000 square meters. The urban development plan for the area envisages an interconnected space, a single, shared ground floor open to socialising and collaboration: the Common Ground.

The construction sites that have already been launched will see the creation of the MoLo complex (under construction) right next to the current Rho-Fiera metro station exit, which will integrate parking facilities, the ecosystem's energy center, and a retail area; and Horizon, designed to house flexible workspaces for commercial use. Horizon, currently under construction, will host tenants such as ABB, E.ON, and Confidi Systema, and will be completed by 2026.

Work has begun on these first buildings, and construction will continue as scheduled on Zenith, the Innovation Hub, the serviced hotel, the residences overlooking the Decumano, the shops, and public spaces. Among these, a large space of approximately 15,000 square meters will be dedicated to retail, with a particular emphasis on food, catering, and a wide range of services for residents and the many people who visit the IRCCS Galeazzi - Sant'Ambrogio Hospital every day.

The investment for the construction of the Horizon and MoLo buildings, which are essential service infrastructure for the district, amounts to a total of €170 million for a total built area of 88,500 square meters (65,000 square meters for MoLo and 23,500 square meters for Horizon). The Westgate area will be developed by Lendlease with the contribution of institutional partners. In particular, the area with the new Horizon building under construction is part of the Renaissance 1 fund managed by Lendlease Italy SGR and 50% owned by the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPP Investments) pension fund. The public parking component of MoLo was co-financed by Arexpo.

 

MIND VILLAGE

The MIND Village has been completed. Located in the heart of the district, on both sides of the Decumano, it is the first hub open to private companies, incubators, accelerators, and highly innovative startups interested in working in continuous synergy with each other and with the district's centers of excellence. It consists of 10,000 square meters of office space housing 40 companies—25 of which are located in "The Hive" buildings alone—in an area currently frequented by over 2,000 people per day. With the expansion to the north of the Village, the first nucleus of the district born from the circular regeneration of the Expo 2015 buildings, new activities have also come to life, contributing to opening up the district more and more to people and the local area. Three years after work began, MIND is increasingly taking on the appearance of an urban neighborhood thanks to its public spaces and green areas, equipped with free outdoor workstations, basketball courts, ping pong tables, laundry facilities, pizza by the slice, electric vehicle charging stations, bike/scooter sharing, info points, green paths, and areas for socializing and refreshments.

Among the new spaces in the district is EsselungaLab, a laboratory where new services and technologies can be explored and tested, designed by Esselunga for the MIND Village community, which offers a market, café, and restaurant. In the market, customers can experience a new way of shopping thanks to a checkout system based on computer vision and smart sensors. After picking items from the shelves, customers can use the self-checkout area, where a cash register displays all the items selected for quick checking, allowing for fast payment and exit from the store. The restaurant area also features a "cobot" that assists operators in preparing salads. Innovation, sustainability, and inclusion are the values that inspired the design of EsselungaLab.

The hub is home to company headquarters, R&D departments of large corporations, startups, offices, laboratories, the ITS MIND Academy Campus, the Botticino School of Restoration, and event spaces such as the Big Theatre.

The renovated private buildings intended for office use in the MIND Village on the north side are 100% owned by Lendlease, while those on the south side of the Decumano have been transferred to Fondo Cervino – Comparto A, a closed-end alternative real estate investment fund managed by REAM SGR, of which Lendlease is one of the shareholders. The Cervino Fund – Comparto B, also managed by REAM SGR, owns the building land with an area of approximately 30,000 square meters intended for the construction of two student residences with a total of 1,100 beds, which will be developed in synergy with the State University.

BIG THEATRE by Big Spaces

From today, MIND also becomes a leisure space in every sense. Through the creation of new strategic partnerships, the innovation district is increasingly establishing itself not only as a place to work, but also as a destination to live and enjoy oneself. With a view to activating the territory, which characterizes all of Lendlease's international projects, a collaboration has been launched with the venue management company Big Spaces, which has enabled the opening of a new multifunctional event location at MIND: the Big Theatre, one of the largest event spaces in Milan, capable of accommodating over 3,500 people, created from the repurposing of one of the Expo 2015 studios and the partnership with Big Spaces.

 

CIMA AND THE SCHOOL OF BOTTICINO (EDITED BY VALORE ITALIA)

MIND is already a space for education and higher learning. Just today, the Botticino School of Restoration held its Open Day. It is one of the oldest and most prestigious Italian institutions offering a five-year single-cycle Master's degree course, qualifying students for the profession of restorer. The Valore Italia headquarters also hosts CIMA – Campus ITS MIND Academy, Italy's first ITS Campus, which aims to double its space at MIND to accommodate up to 1,000 students.

 

MIND INNOVATION WEEK

With the inauguration of the new spaces, the second edition of MIND Innovation Week was also launched today . From May 5 to 11, 2024, innovation will become a festival open to the public with an annual format dedicated to the new frontiers of life sciences and urban living with the leading figures in Italian research. The vision, renewed in this second edition, is to connect disciplines and worlds that are seemingly distant and unconnected, putting people, companies, startups, the local community, and MINDers who work with passion and vision to make MIND Milan's innovation hub at the center stage.

The week of meetings, events, and shows featuring MINDers and innovation will also be an opportunity to present the results of MIND's second year, the numbers and the impact generated by its protagonists.