Digitalization and Resilience Strategies in Italian Furniture Manufacturing Districts. Quarrata (Tuscany) Case Study

Furniture manufacturing in Italy is based on interconnected SMEs based on craftsmanship know-how. During the past decade, these companies presented significant transformations within the production chain integrating enabling technologies into high-quality craftsmanship. This change has been based on supports from European Commission and local institutions enhancing digitalization. The research focuses on furniture production clusters in Tuscany (Italy) and, in particular, on Quarrata district. Even if several international analysts report on a scarce diffusion of technological skills in Italian SMEs, Tuscany area includes significant case studies that present digital integrations to the supply chain, structuring resilience strategies. The paper presents a joint project Industry-Academia on Quarrata cluster, including researchers and students. The team analysed significant supply chains about the grade of digitalization among the companies of the same production network. Then, the study proposed specific reorganization guidelines through the introduction of digital systems both on production reorganization and new design directions.