The O2K Open to Knowledge project, funded by the European Social Fund under article 6 for innovative actions, set out to define an action plan aimed at attracting to the Biellese industrial district the skills and resources necessary to add the intangible elements of a knowledge based economy to its existing manufacturing tradition.
The objective of O2K is to experiment with the development of the skills and resources necessary for anticipating change and to manage the transition from a culture centered around manufacturing industries to one centered on knowledge.
The scope of the project included an international conference held at Thessaloniki on the 22nd of February 2007, focused on a number of cases of transition from economies specialized in the textiles sector to diversified economies with strong emphasis on services.
The final conference was held at Cittadellarte on the 22nd of June 2007, entitled Open to Knowledge, generating development, which presented various examples of areas that once based their economies on the textiles industry and that following a period of economic decline, targeted culture and creativity for local requalification and development.
Taking part:
P. Naldini (CEO, Cittadellarte); G. Pozzi (Chairman of the Biella Chamber of Commerce); Marco Ricchetti (Hermes Lab); R. Di Monaco (Director of SRF – research and training company); M. Vinai (Ass. Verso l’Agio); E. K. Gozdzik (Academy of Humanities and Economics); J. Capellá Hereo (Alba-Ter consortium); M. Lucano (Councilor, Province of Biella); V. Barazzotto (Mayor, City of Biella); F. Hary (Vice President of the Biella Industrialists Union); M. Foscale (Director, Confartigianato); P. Garavello (representing the CNA and CGIL, CISL and FIM-CISL trade union organizations).
Moderating: M. Berchi (Managing director “Qui Touring”).
