Reggiane Parco Innovazione

From the extraordinary urban transformation of the historic Officine Reggiane comes one of Reggio Emilia’s most ambitious projects: the Innovation Park, a European-scale scientific, technological, and humanistic hub serving research, businesses, and the community.

Parco Innovazione

Parco Innovazione rises on the area once occupied by the Officine Meccaniche Reggiane, one of the most important Italian industrial enterprises of the 20th century, the fourth largest factory in the country after Fiat, Breda, and Ansaldo.
Its strategic location - 1.5 km from the Mediopadana high-speed railway station, close to the historic railway station, the airport, and the A1 motorway exit - now makes it an ideal connection point between the city, the university, and the surrounding territory.

Within the Park, internationally recognized centers of excellence are already active, the first building blocks of an ever-evolving project:

• the Tecnopolo Reggio Emilia, housed in the restored Building 19, dedicated to industrial research and technology transfer and part of the Emilia-Romagna Regional High Technology Network. It hosts advanced research laboratories and a startup incubator supporting businesses and innovation;
• the Loris Malaguzzi International Centre, a global reference point for the Reggio Emilia Approach, the educational philosophy that inspires schools and institutions around the world.

The transformation of the Reggiane area unfolds along three main directions:

• the redevelopment of Piazzale Europa, which will become the beating heart of the Innovation Park, a multifunctional public square capable of connecting the area to the historic city center and generating new urban quality;
• the reopening of the historic Viale Ramazzini, improving accessibility and strengthening connections with major road networks;
• the architectural and functional restoration of Buildings 17 and 18, intended to host companies, research laboratories, and innovation-driven enterprises.

The Officine Reggiane: memory and identity

Founded in 1904 in the Santa Croce district, the Officine Meccaniche Reggiane represent one of Reggio Emilia’s strongest historical, social, and urban identities.
Initially specializing in the production of railway rolling stock, the Reggiane quickly gained an international reputation, later expanding production into numerous industrial sectors.
During the First and Second World Wars, the factory was converted to military production, employing over 11,000 workers at its peak.
The 1944 bombing, post-war workers’ struggles, and the long industrial decline deeply marked the history of the site, whose activity finally came to an end in 2008.

Today, that industrial heritage lives on in a new form: a place of innovation, research, and creativity, where the memory of the past engages in dialogue with the challenges of the future.

Find out more about:
Tecnopolo Reggio Emilia
Loris Malaguzzi International Centre