A benchmark in high-quality surfaces and innovative materials for interior design, Arpa Industriale has just celebrated 70 years since its founding.

70 years of innovations, cutting-edge technical solutions, passion and creativity that have led the company to shape Italian design with its materials, interpreting evolutions and trends.

To mark this important milestone, the company, which since 2008, together with the FENIX® and Arpa® brands, has been part of Broadview Holding's Material Technology business unit, created a photographic project curated by Francesca Ferrari, set in the production plant in Bra (Cuneo, Italy), images that we use to complement this interview.

The 70th anniversary represents not only an opportunity to celebrate the many successes achieved so far, but also to look to the future, continuing to innovate while respecting the environment and people. We talk about this with Sandro Marini, Corporate Communications Manager and Art Director of Arpa industriale SpA.

At the last Sicam, innovation was the key word that emerged in all divisions, which makes one understand the great research work by companies in the subcontracting sector to develop new products and study new processes. Innovation has always been the strength of Arpa Industriale.

Our company places great emphasis on innovation, both in product and process. We believe that research and development is the key to remaining competitive and offering added value to our customers. Product innovation allows us to explore new features and designs, while process innovation improves production efficiency, reduces waste, and increases overall quality.

New technologies offer three-dimensional solutions in various fields of application, especially in the area of surfaces. Industrial harp, anticipating interior design trends as always, has already incorporated them into its production?

As for three-dimensional technologies, we see them as a tremendous opportunity. In the area of surfaces, for example, they can be integrated to develop strikingly textured panels or coatings that offer a unique tactile experience. Indeed, since the beginning of its creative journey, which began in 1954, Arpa has created finishes that have stood out for their depth and great aesthetic expressiveness, for example the Losa finish, or the TUET cannulated surface.

The central theme of the upcoming interzum 2025 will be “Rethinking Resources: circular and biobased solutions.” How does Arpa address this change?

Our goal is to reduce our environmental impact. To do this, we measure it using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology. Although our vision is broader, our main focus is on CO2 emissions. At Arpa, the goal we aim for is a 28 percent reduction in emissions by 2026. Thereafter, in the years to follow, we aim to become carbon neutral, just as we did for FENIX® in 2021..

To continue to improve our carbon footprint, we work on several projects, which include improvements in the efficiency of production processes and the search for better alternative resources within our materials such as the use of Bloom technology based on lignin, a renewable raw material from production waste from the wood industry. We also constantly monitor the progress of all projects. We are transparent about our achievements, publishing them regularly in an annual report, available online for anyone who wants to read it.

In summary: We measure. We act. We monitor. We share. Aware of our impact, we actively work to limit it as much as possible: “Making real impact for less impact.”