Sella unveils the new Open Innovation Center in Turin
A total space measuring over 5,000 square meters, 200 workstations, coworking and meeting areas for entrepreneurs, startuppers, freelancers, young professionals, investors and customers, a dedicated AI team, a place to host events, a bistrot cafeteria open to the public, as well as a rooftop area available for private events. This is the Open Innovation Center of the Sella group, inaugurated today at Corso Galileo Ferraris 32, right in the heart of Turin, a new hub integrating all the Group's specialized consulting skills in its various business areas with the aim of developing innovation to generate a positive social, economic, environmental and regional impact.
The launch of the Open Innovation Center in Turin is yet another step forward in Sella group's strategy to support the growth of the Piedmont region, backing its lively innovation ecosystem and strengthening the competitive edge of its companies and startups through a variety of consulting services that can help them address today's challenges and seize the opportunities offered by innovation using an “open” approach.
The Open Innovation Center is also designed to be a space for the co-creation and spread of ideas in which Sella group's various companies deal with sustainability challenges and promote innovation with a positive and sustainable social impact. In fact, the building houses several Group companies, from Banca Sella present with a branch office on the ground floor and spaces dedicated to Wealth & Business Advisory services, to Sella Leasing and companies in the technology and innovation field, such as Fabrick, Centrico and the fintech Hype, owned in an equal joint venture with illimity. The Open Innovation Center also houses the Group’s innovation platform, Sellalab, which was founded 10 years ago and is also present in Biella, Padua, Salerno, and Lecce.
In addition to supporting the growth of startups and enterprises, the new center serves as a meeting place where all innovation players - including universities, research centers, innovation hubs and incubators - can collaborate, also thanks to the coworking spaces, in developing new opportunities related to the digital and fintech sectors together with other local businesses, in order to accompany these startups and enterprises on a path of expansion using new technologies and open innovation. Sella's Turin hub fosters the realization of innovative projects and use cases, from the concept phase right up to implementation, and also hosts a team which includes data scientists and experts in data governance and AI architectures.
The drive toward openness and collaboration, digital transformation and open innovation has been mirrored in the substantial refurbishment work carried out since the property was purchased in 2019. The restyling of the four-storey building, formerly the headquarters of Juventus Football Club, was entrusted to the firm CRA - Carlo Ratti Associati, which reimagined the spaces to create more opportunities for meetings and social gatherings, and foster the exchange of ideas and encourage creativity. The offices feature a strong hybrid working approach, with spaces dedicated to interaction between people and all the facilities necessary to organize face-to-face activities.
The refurbishment of the building was inspired and marked by the highest levels of sustainability, energy efficiency and quality of the work environment. The air exchange and air conditioning system uses the innovative “smart window” technology with controlled mechanical ventilation, high-efficiency heat recovery units and a set of sensors capable of triggering automatic systems under all use conditions.
The Turin Open Innovation Center joins the Banca Sella premises already present in the city with the historic headquarters at Piazza Castello, and Palazzo Bricherasio, since 2013 the headquarters of Banca Patrimoni Sella & C., the Sella group company specializing in the management and administration of private and institutional clients’ assets.
