10 questions for... Enrico Faggioli

The interview was given in Italian; this is our translation.

1. Who are you and what do you do? Introduce yourself in two lines.

Hi, I am Enrico Faggioli. I was a partner at Ochain; after completing the exit, I now work at SRAM, where I look after the brand. Alongside that, I run several entrepreneurial projects, including a Venture Capital fund, and I founded my own investor club, Largo Saint Fons.

2. What is your relationship with the things that are designed and built?

At Ochain, my previous start up, we were building a new spider for mountain bikes. It was a complex and fascinating project: building a complex product from scratch with suppliers from all over the world was a challenge, but then seeing your product assembled and working all over the world is a unique satisfaction!

3. How did you meet NUGAE?

I met NUGAE at a pitch organised by my accountant. It was a small, private event to assess a very interesting start up!

4. What did you think the first time you saw a 3D printed part of that size?

I was fascinated both by the team, very similar to ours at Ochain, and by the technology and its potential. Seeing 3D printed parts of that size, with an excellent finish and a very low weight, truly left me speechless.

5. What was your project, or your encounter, with NUGAE? Tell it as you would tell a friend.

In NUGAE I saw a start up with a team of people who are extremely passionate about what they do and about the change they want to bring to the market with their idea, just like me and my partners in our former start up. That is why I decided to invest in the people first, and alongside them in their technology.

6. What surprised you most?

The possibility of creating large structures from common materials such as plastic, while achieving extraordinary performance in terms of strength, adaptability and freedom of application.

7. What did you expect that did not happen, or what did you not expect that did?

It probably needs a bit more time to answer this question, but the expectations for the team and for this technology are very high and I am very confident!

8. If you had to explain to a child why this technology is different, what would you say?

This technology lets you make an elephant that weighs as much as a dog! And it lets you give free rein to your imagination to create whatever you want!

9. What would you like to see 3D printed tomorrow?

There are many things I would like to see this technology applied to, from bike prototypes to boat parts, but one of the most interesting for me would certainly be unique design furniture pieces that blend perfectly with the structural parts of a house, or that simply give it tone and character.

10. Complete the sentence: “I chose NUGAE because…”

I chose NUGAE because I believe this technology has the potential to create new opportunities and many jobs, through a network of centres spread across Italy and, looking ahead, internationally too. I am also convinced that it can significantly reduce time and costs in many industries. Italy needs to invest in technologies like this one and to aim at becoming a point of reference in developing and applying innovative solutions for industry.

The furniture pieces Enrico talks about already exist: they are the DUKENA collection. The network of centres is NU-Hub, the NUGAE printing system installed where things are made.