[Event Report] Learning from Italy’s “Territorio”: How the Intersection of Business and Design Creates Next-Generation Value

On November 20, 2025, DE-TALES Ltd. and knots associates inc. co-hosted the event:
“Learning from Italy’s ‘Territorio’ — Report Session on the ‘Journey Exploring the Intersection of Business and Design’ + Announcement of the 2026 Program.”

In an era where global competition and local context are intricately intertwined, where can Japanese companies find the clues to unlock new value? This report distills key insights gained from our experiential learning program in Italy, along with concrete implications for Japanese businesses.

At the event, we welcomed approximately 30 participants (the venue was fully booked) at Azabudai Hills. We sincerely thank everyone who joined us and engaged so attentively.

Video: Ken Anzai

1. "Territorio": A Living Ecosystem Woven by the Entire Region

The key concept of this program is the Italian word “Territorio.” It does not simply mean “territory.” Rather, it refers to a region’s identity itself—an inseparable integration of industry, culture, and history.

In May 2025, we conducted an experiential learning journey across Langhe (Alba) in Northern Italy and Milan, exploring this concept first-hand.

• Exploration in Alba (hands-on experiences):
  Participants visited the University of Gastronomic Sciences, a hub of the Slow Food movement, as well as DIG421, an innovative local innovation hub. They observed how food, education, architecture, and industry do not exist in silos, but function as a single ecosystem, elevating the value of the region as a whole.

• Synthesis in Milan (reframing and abstraction):
  Through lectures at Politecnico di Milano, participants abstracted and reframed the concrete insights from Alba into a broader perspective of business and design, transforming experience into transferable knowledge.

A digest video capturing the essence of the May 2025 learning journey is available at the end of this article.

Participant voices: Key learnings
This journey brought together a diverse group—4 corporate delegates, 2 freelancers, and 1 university student—who shared the following insights:

• Sustainability and responsibility to the next generation

  “In Italy, we learned that economic activity is inseparable from responsibility for the future.” One participant found this essence through observing how truffle forests are stewarded.
  
  

• Maximizing regional value through shared knowledge
  “We witnessed an astonishing ecosystem where the pursuit of individual company benefit connects to increasing the value of the entire ‘Territorio.’”
  
  

• Design as the creation of relationships
  “In Italy, design is not about the shape of things; it is an act of creating relationships. We experienced that practice directly.”
  
  

• Culture as ‘living design’
  “We saw the city itself as a crystallization of design—woven over time.”

These reflections capture the program’s actual value. In 2026, we will deliver an even more refined experience, building on these learnings.

2. Special Lecture: “New Luxury” and Rethinking “High Quality”

Speaker: Hiroyuki Anzai (Business & Cultural Designer)

The centerpiece of the event was Anzai’s lecture, which delivered a clear message:
“New luxury is a re-examination of what ‘high quality’ truly means.”

Designing the conditions for luxury
Anzai noted that while luxury itself cannot be designed, the conditions under which something is perceived as luxury can be designed. The key is innovation of meaning.
Two concepts were highlighted as essential sources of inimitable meaning—especially in an AI-dominant era:

• "Weak modernity”:
  Not erasing the past through technology, but cultivating relationships where history and nature are integrated, respected, and allowed to coexist.

• "Know-How (saper fare)":
  More than technical skill—this is a form of collective wisdom embedded in a community: “knowing what should be done,” carried forward across generations.

These will become the source of unique "meaning" that cannot be imitated in the age of AI.

3.  Insights for Japanese Companies: From “Branding” to “Heritage”

Italy and Japan share a common foundation: SMEs and long-established companies support the economy, and tradition is deeply valued. From this program, two key recommendations emerged for Japanese companies.

① Shift from “creating” to “activating” value
Many Japanese companies focus heavily on branding (creating). What is needed now is a heritage (activating) perspective: rediscovering and leveraging the assets accumulated through history. Converting the “accumulation of time” embedded in a company’s story into value is a key pathway out of price competition.

②Generate “numbers” from qualitative value
Rather than trying to create value by pursuing sales and profit (quantitative evaluation), the Italian model prioritizes elevating meaning and culture (qualitative evaluation) first, with economic results following. This inversion of the usual logic is one of the essential lessons.

4. Invitation to the 2026 “Exploration Journey”

To share this one-of-a-kind experience, we have decided to run the program again in 2026. We welcome leaders who wish to re-examine their organization’s heritage and envision next-generation business.

Draft overview of the 2026 program

• Dates: Sunday, May 24, 2026 – Saturday, May 30, 2026

• Destinations: Northern Italy (Langhe/Alba and Milan)

• Main components: Stakeholder visits, design lectures & discussions at Politecnico di Milano, museum visits, and more

• Capacity: Approx. 10 participants

Priority reservation and inquiries
Formal recruitment is planned for January 2026. If you would like priority reservation or further details, please contact:
contact@knotsassociates.com

Corporate information pack
A participation guide for companies is available. Please contact us at the address above with:
・“Request for corporate materials” as a title
・Company name
・Department name
・Contact person’s details

Organizers: DE-TALES Ltd. / knots associates inc.

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In May 2025, a journey to learn about the intersection of design and business in Italy.