Tangible corporate culture
A comprehensive collection of research and studies on industrial heritage is published
Signs of ingenuity and hard work. Evidence of the desire to do business, of the passing of generations of workers. Signs of dreams of progress, often realised. A culture of production and entrepreneurship that materialises in factories and warehouses, offices, and archives. All of this forms part of the Italian, European and global industrial heritage that we have been trying to promote and pass on for some time now. The substantial collection of research presented at the third edition of the ‘Stati generali del patrimonio industriale’ (General assembly on industrial heritage), which took place in early February 2026 in Bari, Matera, and Lecce, represents a valuable set of examples to learn about and analyses on the subject to explore in greater depth.
The 2026 ‘Stati generali del patrimonio industriale’ continues the process begun in 2018 and aims to ‘provide a comprehensive overview of the technical, economic, cultural, and social heritage linked to production and work throughout Italy.’ The result is a type of ‘catalogue’ of industrial heritage, comprising tangible and intangible evidence of working culture. This addresses the need for knowledge and re-evaluation, not only in academic research, but also within communities and the manufacturing sector.
The collection of surveys reflects the agenda of the three-day study promoted by the Associazione Italiana per il Patrimonio Archeologico Industriale (Italian association for industrial archaeological heritage) (AIPAI) together with a large number of institutions. We begin with a series of studies on machinery and patents, then move on to the relationship between cities and industrial landscapes, touching on the connections between the various social production infrastructures in the area, before arriving at studies that have examined the design of plants and factories in greater depth. Subsequently, the research focuses on the relationship between history, culture, industrial memory, and corporate archives and museums. It then explores the possibilities offered by new technologies and artificial intelligence for the restoration and conservation of existing heritage, the urban and environmental regeneration of factories, and the understanding of this heritage through specialised tourism, imagery and cinematography.
This collection of surveys promoted by AIPAI should not only be preserved, but also carefully read and utilised.
3° Stati generali del patrimonio industriale
Various Authors, February 5-8, 2026, Bari, Matera, Lecce, Gangemi 2026.
A comprehensive collection of research and studies on industrial heritage is published
Signs of ingenuity and hard work. Evidence of the desire to do business, of the passing of generations of workers. Signs of dreams of progress, often realised. A culture of production and entrepreneurship that materialises in factories and warehouses, offices, and archives. All of this forms part of the Italian, European and global industrial heritage that we have been trying to promote and pass on for some time now. The substantial collection of research presented at the third edition of the ‘Stati generali del patrimonio industriale’ (General assembly on industrial heritage), which took place in early February 2026 in Bari, Matera, and Lecce, represents a valuable set of examples to learn about and analyses on the subject to explore in greater depth.
The 2026 ‘Stati generali del patrimonio industriale’ continues the process begun in 2018 and aims to ‘provide a comprehensive overview of the technical, economic, cultural, and social heritage linked to production and work throughout Italy.’ The result is a type of ‘catalogue’ of industrial heritage, comprising tangible and intangible evidence of working culture. This addresses the need for knowledge and re-evaluation, not only in academic research, but also within communities and the manufacturing sector.
The collection of surveys reflects the agenda of the three-day study promoted by the Associazione Italiana per il Patrimonio Archeologico Industriale (Italian association for industrial archaeological heritage) (AIPAI) together with a large number of institutions. We begin with a series of studies on machinery and patents, then move on to the relationship between cities and industrial landscapes, touching on the connections between the various social production infrastructures in the area, before arriving at studies that have examined the design of plants and factories in greater depth. Subsequently, the research focuses on the relationship between history, culture, industrial memory, and corporate archives and museums. It then explores the possibilities offered by new technologies and artificial intelligence for the restoration and conservation of existing heritage, the urban and environmental regeneration of factories, and the understanding of this heritage through specialised tourism, imagery and cinematography.
This collection of surveys promoted by AIPAI should not only be preserved, but also carefully read and utilised.
3° Stati generali del patrimonio industriale
Various Authors, February 5-8, 2026, Bari, Matera, Lecce, Gangemi 2026.