ReVivoArtistry

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OFFICINE REGGIANE

Officine Reggiane: The Reggiane

Founded in 1904 in Reggio Emilia, the Officine Meccaniche Reggiane became one of the city’s most significant historical, social, and urban landmarks. Their strategic location and vast, versatile production capacity quickly established them as a key industrial hub for the entire province.

Initially focused on manufacturing railway rolling stock—earning even international recognition—the company soon expanded into producing various industrial equipment, including ovens and pasta-making machinery. During World War I, the Reggiane shifted to wartime production, employing 5,000 workers to manufacture cannons and projectile shells.

By the mid-1930s, under state control via the IRI (Institute for Industrial Reconstruction), the Reggiane launched a large aviation division, producing military aircraft such as the Re 2001. This activity led to a devastating Allied bombing in January 1944, causing numerous civilian casualties.

Wartime production marked the peak of the Reggiane’s expansion, with over 11,000 workers—both locals and immigrants, many of whom lived in the workers’ housing area known as “il Cairo.” However, postwar tensions between management and workers led to significant social unrest. From 1949 to 1951, workers occupied the factory for 368 days in protest, though this ultimately did not prevent mass layoffs, signaling the end of the Reggiane’s golden era.

In the decades that followed, the company continued to produce railway and industrial equipment—first under EFIM, then as part of the ‘Fantuzzi Group,’ a global leader in port handling systems—before ceasing operations entirely in 2008.

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The Innovation Park

The Innovation Park project reclaims the northern area of Reggio Emilia, once home to the historic Officine Meccaniche Reggiane. This former industrial zone is a key symbol of Italy’s industrial heritage, as the Reggiane was the country’s fourth-largest factory in the early 20th century, following Fiat, Breda, and Ansaldo.

Located just 1.5 km from the Reggio Emilia AV Mediopadana high-speed rail station and the A1 highway exit, the site lies near the city center and university campus, adjacent to the historical FS railway station and the local airport.

Today, the area is already home to centers of excellence—the first building blocks of the Innovation Park:

• The Technopole: Housed in Building 19, the first to be renovated, it is part of Emilia-Romagna’s High Technology Network. The Technopole hosts four advanced research and technology transfer labs and includes an incubator for innovative startups.
• The Loris Malaguzzi International Centre: A global hub for the Reggio Emilia Approach, an educational philosophy embraced by schools worldwide.

The transformation project is built on three main pillars:

Architectural and functional redevelopment of Buildings 17 and 18 – to host companies, research labs, and innovation-driven enterprises.

Revitalization of Piazzale Europa – to become the Innovation Park’s central hub: a multifunctional public space linking the area to the historic city center and enhancing the surrounding neighborhood.

Reopening of the historic stretch of Viale Ramazzini – improving access and connecting the site to major roads and bypasses.

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More info on: https://parcoinnovazione.it/ and https://www.reggioemiliawelcome.it/it/reggio-emilia/scopri-il-territorio/arte-e-cultura/Arte-e-architettura-contemporanea/le-officine-reggiane-tecnopolo.

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