Letizia's Diary

My class “4AL” and I left on a long trip abroad, two weeks in Sweden.
It was a long and tiring journey by coach and by plane.
We spent the first two days in Stockholm and in the following days we stayed in Tibro, near Skovde.
We were in a hostel with rooms for many people; throughout our stay we divided up the duties for the hostel and the school.
We attended a Swedish school and they divided us in two groups to follow some different lessons.
The Swedish students gave us a warm welcome; they offered us hospitality and good food, maybe a little heavy for our taste!
They organised a programme of great cultural interest for us and we presented them our business, Style4Fun, and our product, BeeBox.
After two weeks we got back home with the same long time of travel.
This experience has been very interesting and a great life lesson for me and my culture.

Chiara'a Diary

On 13th April my class and I left from the stadium in Pontedera to go to the Malpensa airport in Milan by coach because we were going to a new country, Sweden! It was a very sad departure, because I was afraid I would miss my family, my friends, my boyfriend and my habits for two weeks, but thanks to the presence of my classmates I didn’t think about it!
We arrived at the airport in Stockholm in the afternoon and we took a train to the central station in Stockholm, that was a few steps from our hostel. In the two days that we spent in Stockholm, the spirit of adaptation was very high, since we were eighteen guys and girls in the same room with only one bathroom, but at the end it was great fun!
In Stockholm we visited the city and we went to visit the Skansen open air museum and its zoo.
On the third day we took the train and we went to a village near Skodve, called Tibro.
We spent the rest of the time in a very nice and welcoming hostel.
In the following days, we got to know the Swedish boys and girls, and we visited their school. We have not established a close relationship with them, but we have known their habits and they are very different from the Italians’! I enjoyed when I spent the afternoon with the Swedish guys at the laser game, it was great fun!
On Sunday we went to visit the city of Goteborg.
Some days were hard and tiring, but we were strong.
26th April was the day of departure! We went back to Italy! We were happy because we needed our family and everything!
But maybe in the end this experience has improved our relationship and our friendship, and we tried to live with different habits.
It was a beautiful experience that I will certainly remember all my life.

Cristina's Diary

This year, the class 4ALA of ITCG Fermi in Pontedera has taken part in a cultural exchange with a Swedish school.
We left from Pontedera on 13th April and we came back on 27th April.
We visited the school and we took part in the lessons to improve our English and established a relationship with the Swedish students that allowed us to show them our Junior achievement project.
Our company is called Style4Fun and our product is called Beebox.
The students and the teachers of IT Gymnasiet in Skovde liked our product, so we have begun to collaborate with them to promote BeeBox in Sweden.
During this period we have collaborated with them to get to know the Swedish market, so we have carried out some market research and together we have translated all the necessary literature to sell our product in that country.
We have also visited some companies of the area which could be linked to our project, in fact they were furnishing companies.
We have proposed our questionnaire in these company as well, and we got a lot of feedback about how to improve our product and how to launch it on the Swedish market.
Finally, after all the work of two weeks, on the last day we sold our product in a local fair, where a good number of people bought BeeBox.
At the moment we are collaborating with the Swedish students to continue to sell in their country, so we can say that in these two weeks we have formed a Join Venture between Italy and Sweden, even if the Swedish students aren’t taking part in the Junior Achievement project this year.

Rossella's Diary

Our adventure began on April 13th, we all met at the stadium in Pontedera and we left for Milan.
The plane to Stockholm left at 12:10 p.m. from Malpensa Airport, and we were on board!
After some vicissitudes we arrived in Stockholm and my first impression was "wow!" It was a beautiful, clean and very liveable city.
Our moral was a little down when we saw our hostel, a large room with 24 beds, 2 baths and a small sitting room: we had to sleep together!
But during those 2 short days the hostel was much appreciated and the time passed quickly between jokes, laughter and so much cold.
On April 15th we took the train and we arrived in our "beloved" Skovde.
To wait for us there were some Swedish boys who helped us with our luggage, even the closets we had brought!
At 11 p.m after the dinner at school, we came to the hostel in Tibro, a small village.
In my opinion the hostel was very nice, well kept and welcoming.
The day after April 16th, the true adventure of endless walks, lunches, company visits, which will remain in history, began: the first week passed with some doubts and difficulties, after clarification with our teachers.
During the second week, we did many activities with the Swedes, including the laser game which I enjoyed very much.
On 26th April after taking buses, trains, planes and buses again, we finally got home.
My state of mind was one of relief and regret.
There were problems but I knew that some landscapes, some moments, some things I would never forget, and in some ways I would miss Sweden.
I can say that I feel sorry for not having fully lived those days and not having been able to make friends with the Swedish guys, and I’m waiting for September, when they will visit us in Italy to have another opportunity!

Greta's Diary of her stay in Sweden

On April 13th my class and I accompanied by three of our teachers went to Sweden for two weeks on an exchange trip financed by the Tuscan region. In fact we had asked for this financing during the school year. On the departure day we were all a little frightened because of these two weeks for from home but, at the same time, we were also very excited and happy to live a new experience. We spent the first two days in Stockholm where we visited the most important places and we slept in one room with 18 beds! During these two days we had a very good time even if there were some troubles.
After these two days we left to spend the rest of the 2 weeks in Tibro, in a very nice hostel. During that period we went to school where we could attend some lessons and talk to the Swedish students. We were immediately impressed by their school. Completely different from ours: there were lots of games, computers with Internet in every room, sofas, a large television and a canteen. Every day we visited towns and villages nearby together with the Swedish friends, who organized games, lunches, walks so that we were always busy. This way we could also get to know their country a lot. During that period we visited factories specialized in furnishing, we wrote questionnaires about the product we had designed at school within the project “Young Enterprise” and we interviewed some factory managers. One day at last we went to a market in a town nearby and we sold our product .
This experience has been really interesting: to be in touch with people, with habits and ideas different from ours has helped us to improve our characters; it has also improved our knowledge and use of the English language.
During the 2 weeks we have spent beautiful moments and bad moments, arguments and explanations but it has been a very beautiful experience and I would recommend it to every boy and girl as it is really useful in our growing process.
I hope that when the Swedish students come to see us they will have a good time and they will like the experience as I have liked it.

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Our Team

PIAGGIO, the world-wide famous manufacturer of two-wheelers

Piaggio was founded by Rinaldo Piaggio in Pontedera in 1884 and its core business was manufacturing naval furnishing and, then, railway carriages. In 1917 Piaggio started to build aircraft and during World War I they manufactured ant submersible motor-boats (MAS), planes and seaplanes. After the end of WorldWar II they stopped this kind of production and started to manufacture two-wheelers: in 1946 the first one, called “Vespa”, was an immediate success.



In 1948 the “Ape”, a three-wheeled vehicle, was launched, and 1967 was the year of the “Ciao”, that marked a technical and stylistic change in the sector of light mobility.



The “Ciao”


















In the early 80’s, Piaggio was an industrial group that operated on a large productive and commercial horizon: from scooters to mopeds, to motorbikes, to bicycles, to commercial three-wheeled vehicles such as Ape and Porter. In 1989 the “Sfera”, the first Piaggio scooter with plasticized body, was launched and then, in 1994, Piaggio launched on the market the “Hexagon” a kind of vehicle that became a trend-setter.


The “Hexagon”


The brands presently owned by the company are Piaggio (scooters and mopeds, commercial vehicles), Aprilia, Moto Guzzi, Gilera and Derbi.
In 1999 the Piaggio business was taken over by Morgan Grenfell Private Equity. In 2003 the entrepreneur R. Colaninno, present chairman, took control of the company.
In 2005 Piaggio started to operate on the Chinese market with the production of “Shuny” (elegance) in joint venture with Zongshen.
Today Piaggio is one of the main world’s manufacturers of motorized 2 and 3 wheelers, in fact it is the first European producer and one of the four most important world players in this sector. Its brand of products ranges from 50 to 1200cc.

EDRA, Italy's landmark manufacturer of designer furniture

Edra was born in 1987, in Ponsacco, a village 5 km from Pontedera, and quickly became the company of reference of the made in Italy design.The development of Edra is based on quality, innovation and functionality of its products.
A design oriented course, led by the art director Massimo Morozzi, a well-known exponent of the radical movement, who gave recognition and consistency to the collections.
A multicultural approach, sensitive to the language of art, fashion and costume, took Edra to produce signal pieces, which have become icons of contemporary design.
With its highly flexible structure, Edra skillfully uses its expertise to develop innovative products, revolutionizing, in some cases, the classic production of sofas and armchairs. The choice of "glamour" and high quality enhances the value of each product, without falling into decorative redundancy.


Diamond collection

In 2001 Edra presented Diamond sofa, a Flap sofa studded with Swarovski crystals. In order to make this sinuous sofa with mobile parts sparkling, more than 750.000 crystals were used. Thanks to the co-operation with the Austrian company, first producer in the world of ground crystal, Edra was the first company to let design speak the language of luxury, giving the sparking crystal sensual charm to a piece having innovatory characteristics and special comfort. In 2005 the co-operation with Swarovski went on. Some more crystallised items joined Diamond sofa. A special Diamond collection was born: Damier, Getsuen, Tatlin, Sushi and On The Rocks shine with thousands of crystals. For getting this magic, a special high resistant fabric containing Kevlar is cut and then Swarovski covers it with crystals. Swarovski set up the decoration constituted by small crystals prearranged by Hot Fix technology, patented for hot application on fabric. A special glue sensitive to high temperature fixes the self-adhesive crystals on the fabric permanently, granting their adherence for ages. Shining of crystals, the fabric is sewed on the products by the skilful hands of Edra couture dept. Each crystallized piece has a special metallic numbered tag, where both company brands are stamped on, Edra and Swarovski: not only an authenticity guarantee, but also a sign of this special association that makes design a desire object.





Tatlin

Loosely based on the Tatlin tower (a wooden model of which is on display at Beaubourg in Paris), this spiral sofa is a centerpiece for living rooms and public areas, a new form of seating. Its plywood base has metal feet and the spiral, a true work of engineering, is in moulded and wrought steel. The filling is in flexible and breathable polyurethane foam and the upholstery in velvet or on request other fabrics and leather from the fabric collection.









Corbeille

It is an invitingly soft armchair, a warm nest to curl up in. The ultimate in relaxation! Its basket-shaped woven metal structure is filled with soft, informal, loosely covered cushions. The juxtaposition of fabric and leather highlights the contrast between rigid frame and soft, sensual upholstery.






Rose chair

Rose-shaped, it can be seen as a haute couture item. The petals, which form the padding and make the seat welcoming, are hand made one by one. The frame is in moulded metal with small parts in shaped wood. The filling is in polyurethane foam and Dacron and the legs are in turned and brushed aluminum with a kiln-dried transparent finish coating. The upholstery is in velvet in the colours available in the fabric collection.







Chantilly

The name speaks volumes. Like its creamy edible counterpart, Chantilly has two components: a soft, flowing exterior sustained by rigid inner frame that rises to a flat leather-clad top. The satin upholstery is deliberately loose fitting. It flounces and cascades, soft and inviting, its folds highlighting the fabric's sheen. The high back oh this circular settee supports the nape of the neck- a cervical cushion reminiscent oh the 19th century models but without their rigidity and severity. Chantilly is the epitome of softness and sensuality, conjuring up a riot of images. Effortless folds and elegant sheen recall gowns by Valentino or Marilyn Monroe. Like lavish fashion, it triggers many a flight of fantasy. Like its name though, Chantilly also evokes the very physical sense of taste that captures perfectly the all-pervading materiality of Sempè's new upholstered creation. Chantilly is the first creation to abandon respectable prêt-a-porter elegance for a stunning evening dress or slinky silk negligee-for comfort's sake, but especially to seduce. Its assertive presence earmarks Chantilly as the centerpiece of any environment.

AMEDEI “Amedei is a Dream which takes the shape of chocolate”

Amedei is an Italian company that produces chocolate. It was founded at the end of the eighties by Alessio and Cecilia Tessieri, who have experimented with new ideas together, to give life to an exclusive chocolate, which has been launched worldwide and has become the symbol of true and proper Renaissance taste.
The entire production process is followed with dedication and artisan skills, such as the selection of the seeds of cocoa, personally done by Alessio in the countries of origin (Venezuela, Madagascar, Ecuador, over the frontiers of taste ) to the manufacturing of the chocolate conducted in the laboratory of Pontedera, under the attentive supervision of Cecilia, Amedei’s maitre chocolatier.



Among the qualities produced by Amedei, the best known is “Porcelana”, so called for the white coloration of the seeds from which a very clear chocolate is produced, also being a 70% fondant chocolate.
This particular cocoa originates from small plantations in Venezuela that produce around 3.000 kilos of seeds with which Amedei produces only 20 thousand boxes for the world market; for this reason this typology of product can cost around 150 Euro per kilo.
The Porcelana has been given a prize from the Academy of Chocolate of London as the best chocolate in the world in 2005 and in 2006.
Amedeis are the only Italian master chocolatiers that own plantations in countries as Venezuela.

Our economic system

The economic system in the province of Pisa is characterized by a variety of activities: industrial sectors (marine, footwear, mechanical, chemical and pharmaceutical), tourism, typical products, wine, oil, services. In this diversified economic system, characterized by strong local economic specializations, a significant cultural and historical heritage is also a key element.

THE MAIN SECTORS IN WHICH THE PRODUCTION OF THE PROVINCE OF PISA IS ARTICULATED ARE:
Clothing, Art and Culture, Crafts, Footwear, Chemicals and pharmaceuticals, Trade, Fine Dining, Farming (Olive Oil and Wine), Hightech, Shipbuilding, Leather, Tourism.

The territory of Pisa has a remarkable physical and economic situation, 2450 square kilometers, more than 390,000 inhabitants, about 50,000 businesses. Adequate roads, highway and railway, the presence of the 'international airport "Galileo Galilei", “Interporto Amerigo Vespucci”, port of Livorno and Piombino. The territory of Pisa has its strength in high scientific and cultural tradition characterized by the presence of three prestigious universities, by Art Research Centers, a Hospital of absolute importance, technology parks and business incubators. The local economy while maintaining quality products is evolving towards the application of new technologies. It can also count on a large potential: the district of hides and skin manufactures items for the most important brandnames of fashion. The area also counts on the presence of Piaggio, known world-wide for its two and three-wheelers. The Centers for Research and Training in the area are world class.

REAL ESTATE

THE PISAN PROPERTY MARKET IS GROWING. THOSE LOOKING FOR A HOUSE TO BUY OR WISHING TO SELL THEIR OWN, MAY APPLY TO MANY REAL ESTATE AGENCIES IN THE AREA.

TRADE

THE GROWTH OF LARGE RETAILERS IN THE PROVINCE OF PISA HAS INCREASED IN RECENT YEARS. THE PROVINCE OF PISA BOASTS 237.2 SQUARE METERS OF LARGE-SCALE DISTRIBUTION OUTLETS (FOOD AND NON FOOD).

LEATHER DISTRICT

THE LEATHER DISTRICT COVERS AN AREA OF APPROXIMATELY 300 KM ²BETWEEN THE PROVINCES OF PISA AND FLORENCE. IT IS CROSSED BY THE RIVER ARNO AND INCLUDES THE MUNICIPALITIES OF SANTA CROCE SULL'ARNO, FUCECCHIO , CASTELFRANCO DI SOTTO, MONTOPOLI IN VAL D'ARNO E SAN MINIATO. THE DISTRICT OF LEATHER IS ONE OF THE AREAS AT HIGHER RATE OF INDUSTRIALIZATION IN TUSCANY. THERE ARE TWO PREVAILING PRODUCTIVE ACTIVITIES: THE LEATHER AND LEATHER AND FOOTWEAR INDUSTRY. THE TANNERIES IN THE AREA COVER APPROXIMATELY 35% OF THE NATIONAL PRODUCTION OF LEATHER FOR SHOES, APPAREL AND 98% OF THE PRODUCTION OF LEATHER SOLES. THE PISA “Fashion Roundtable”, BORN IN 2003 TO ADDRESS ISSUES RELATED TO THE DIFFICULTIES OF THE SECTORS OF TEXTILE, CLOTHING AND LEATHER AND FOOTWEAR, TODAY IS RECOGNIZED AS THE PRIVILEGED PLACE OF CONCERTED POLICY INTERVENTION TO SUPPORT THE PROVINCIAL FASHION SYSTEM. FINE DINING FOR A TOURIST VISITING THE AREA, THE ROUTE IS DOTTED WITH A SERIES OF SMALL TOWNS AND TINY VILLAGES OF ANCIENT ORIGIN WHERE IT IS STILL POSSIBLE TO APPRECIATE THE QUIET PACE OF LIFE ENLIVENED BY GASTRONOMIC SPECIALTIES, SURROUNDED BY BEAUTIFUL COUNTRYSIDE. THE CULINARY ART DATES BACK TO THE TIME OF THE ETRUSCANS: IS THIS MYSTERIOUS PEOPLE WHO PASSED BY US IN TUSCANY AND ALL THAT GOOD EATING HABITS ACCOMPANIED BY WINES GENUINE.

HIGHTECH

The Province of Pisa offers a stimulating environment in terms of 'scientific research and technology. Just think of the presence of the CNR (NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL) of Pisa, which consists of several institutes and study centers. Other research centers are: INFN,ENEA, ENEL-CRT, the NAVACCHIO TECHNOLOGY POLE, the SANT'ANNA VALDERA TECHNOLOGY POLE.

It is in this context which several important centres operate:
CASCINA TECHNOLOGY POLE, specializing in high technology (micro-electronics), in close connection with traditional sectors; PONTEDERA SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY POLE, managed by the company PONT-TECH that will work in the field of advanced technologies; S: CROCE TECHNOLOGY POLE, specializing in the tannery, which will deal with training, applied research and highly specialized advice; PECCIOLI TECHNOLOGY POLE, which will operate in the field of advanced technologies for the disabled.
Note also a significant presence of companies related to the provision of advanced technology and competence-oriented largely to the development of mechanized systems of high precision that apply in different sectors.

TOURISM

THE SECTOR PLAYS A LEADING ROLE ON THE PROVINCIAL ECONOMY. THE ACTIVITIES AFFECTED POSITIVELY BY TOURISM ARE HOTELS, RESTAURANTS, SHOPS, CONSTRUCTION, HANDICRAFT PRODUCTION, AGRO-FOOD, LOCAL TRANSPORT AND MUSEUMS. DIFFERENT AREAS OF THE PROVINCE REPRESENT A WEALTH OF RESOURCES FOR THEIR LANDSCAPE AND WORKS OF ART, BUT ALSO FOR THEIR ENO-GASTRONOMIC TRADITIONS AND HIGH QUALITY PRODUCTS (WINE, OIL, ETC.).

CHEMICAL-PHARMACEUTICAL
The areas of chemical and pharmaceutical industry in the province of Pisa are represented by companies that have a long-term tradition, joined the high competence in production and marketing. The provincial production always moves forward more in international markets. The chemicals sector has a number of companies distributed between production of chemicals and synthetic fibers, plastics and rubber, metals. The pharmaceutical industry also plays a significant role.

SHIPBUILDING
THE MARITIME SECTOR HAS RECENTLY BEEN STRENGTHENED WITH REGARD TO THE SHIPBUILDING INDUSTRY TO THE NAVICELLI S.P.A.. THE SHIPBUILDING INDUSTRY FOR LARGE PLEASURE CRAFT HAD CONSIDERABLE DEVELOPMENT. CURRENTLY THERE ARE 15 BUSINESS UNITS LOCATED IN PISA DOCKS (PORTO PISANO) AND ALONG THE CHANNEL OF NAVICELLI. PRODUCTION IS CENTERED ON BOATS / PLEASURE BOATS IN STEEL LENGTH> 40 METERS AND RESIN PLEASURE CRAFT BETWEEN 25 AND 40 METERS AND MOTORIZED SET.

ART AND CULTURE
The University of Pisa is one of the oldest Italian universities and the three important institutions: the ancient University of Pisa (founded in 1343), the Scuola Normale Superiore, the School S. Anna. Cultural activity, both in terms of production and in terms of consumption, plays an important role in this area: the season of concerts of national and international artists, the Opera, Dance and Prose season, research centers and cultural laboratories, the province of Pisa offers a prestigious and diverse landscape. Finally, there are many artistic and cultural organizations throughout the area specialising in artistic restoration.