Museimpresa, the Italian Association of Business Archives and Corporate Museums, brings together over 130 museums and archives of large, medium and small Italian companies.
Founded in Milan in 2001 thanks to an initiative of Assolombarda and Confindustria, it is a unique network at European level.
Museimpresa is committed to bringing together new players in business culture, influencing training processes, safeguarding Italian industrial history, and showcasing the evidence of an extraordinary manufacturing capability that is the driver of sustainable development and the cornerstone of a widespread economic, social and civil culture.
The creation of a system of company archives and museums, the dissemination of quality standards and promotion of the concept of corporate cultural responsibility are among the Association’s aims, as set out in the Manifesto of Intent signed on 15 September 2001.
PRESIDENT
Antonio Calabrò Assolombarda
VICE PRESIDENTS
Marco Amato Lavazza Museum
Carolina Lussana Fondazione Dalmine
Lucia Nardi Eni’s Historical Archive
Silvia Nicolis Nicolis Museum
ADVISORS
Antonio Alunni Confindustria Technical Group for Culture and Development
Francesca Appiani Alessi Museum
Andrea Belli Barilla Historical Archive
Ilaria Catastini Maire Tecnimont Foundation
Paolo Cavallo Galleria Campari
Primo Ferrari Same Historical Archive and Museum
Barbara Foglia Gruppo Cimbali’s Coffee Machine Museum
Chiara Ganz Archivio Storico e Heritage Lab Italgas
Raffaella Luglini Fondazione Ansaldo
Lorenza Luti Kartell Museum
Monica Passerini Museo Ducati
Stefania Ricci Salvatore Ferragamo Museum
Anna Scudellari Casa Martini
Fabrizio Trisoglio Fondazione AEM – Gruppo A2A
Ilaria Tronchetti Provera Fondazione Pirelli
Francesco Vena Museo Amaro Lucano
Giulia Zamagni CUBO Museum
Annalisa Zanni Fondazione Fila Museum
BOARD OF STATUTORY AUDITORS
Guido Marzorati Assolombarda
Armando Priolo Assolombarda
Angelo Ventimiglia Assolombarda
To advocate corporate cultural policy by showcasing corporate archives and museums and disseminating quality standards.
To give a system-oriented viewpoint of different types of corporate museums and business archives, which illustrate Italy’s production and entrepreneurial history.
To encourage the exchange and diffusion of knowledge and experience among the museum community, companies, cultural institutions and the general public.
To carry out research, training, development and studies in the field of museology and business archives.
To strengthen the relationship and increase interaction between companies and archives operating within Italy and abroad with the aim of showcasing common projects.
To inspire the different institutional actors to invest in business culture in order to prevent the dispersion of important business traditions and heritage.
Corporate museums and business archives preserve and showcase the industrial and cultural heritage of companies, making it available to the wider community.
They are extraordinary vehicles that summarize history and innovation in our country, making it possible to document and recount what companies have achieved and continue to achieve for Italy’s economic growth and social and civil development.
Objects, documents, images, photographs and films tell the story of the companies and their protagonists. This unique heritage – an expression of Italian culture and creativity – illustrates the history of Italy’s production and businesses.
Technical, administrative and commercial documents, iconographic materials, products and machinery preserved and showcased in business archives and corporate museums are the material documentation of the extraordinary evolution of many Italian manufacturers, from the last century to the present day. They express ethical and aesthetic business values and the capacity for innovation which have been passed down through the generations.
The Association’s strength lies in its ability to showcase and promote numerous more or less well-connected companies located throughout Italy which have, however, shown an unparalleled production quality worthy of being preserved, showcased and communicated.
The Museimpresa Association advocates business culture through a number of activities:
Networking, by promoting partnerships and connections between companies which illustrate the creativity and the Made in Italy brand, for a continuous and mutually beneficial exchange of knowledge and experience
Representation, by creating privileged relationships with public actors and cultural institutions, and promoting local areas in order to organize and promote industrial tourism itineraries
Showcasing members’ cultural heritage by involving them in all the projects developed by the Association (exhibitions, film festivals, theater performances, conferences, meetings and publications), giving them visibility at national and international level through new editorial projects in the press and on the radio and the internet
Training and research, through the organization of residential seminars, conferences and refresher courses, working groups and research projects
Partnerships with the main Italian institutions, cultural associations and universities
Support in the creation of museums and archives, with advice and assistance for the start-up of new projects, conversations with sector-based experts, comparison with best practices in Italy
The option to take part in Confindustria-promoted initiatives related to business culture, including Business Culture Week (Settimana della Cultura d’Impresa)
Promotional and communication activities in Italy
Who can become members of Museimpresa?
Individuals, organizations, institutions, associations, foundations, museums and business archives, civic museums, academies and public cultural institutions in general. Anyone who shares Museimpresa’s goals can apply to become a member and undertake to respect the Articles of the Association, pay the membership fee and contribute to the development of its program guidelines.
Who can support Museimpresa?
Friends of the Association, i.e. individuals, organizations and institutions who share the aims of the Association, but are not members, can make economic contributions or donate materials and objects in line with its heritage. Anyone who distinguishes themselves or, has distinguished themselves for particular merit in the Association’s fields of interest, can also become supporters.
Guidelines and quality standards
In order to join the Association, Corporate Museums and Business Archives must meet the requirements set out in the Guidelines and meet the following criteria:
Guidelines
1. To have an institutional set-up (company, legally recognized organization, etc.).
2. To have a public document that sets out the institution’s mission, functions and regulations.
3. To have at least one curator or professionally qualified contact person who is responsible for the institution.
4. To be open to the public in keeping with the type of institution and compatible with the needs of the host institution.
5. To have a policy for continuous development and/or growth.
6. To have adequate provision and the space to conserve and safeguard collections, architecture and documents.
7. To organize projects aimed at encouraging interest (exhibitions, research, education and communication).
8. To have facilities for visitors.
Definitions:
Museum: “A museum is a not-for-profit, permanent institution in the service of society that researches, collects, conserves, interprets and exhibits tangible and intangible heritage. Open to the public, accessible and inclusive, museums foster diversity and sustainability. They operate and communicate ethically, professionally and with the participation of communities, offering varied experiences for education, enjoyment, reflection and knowledge sharing.” (International Council of Museums – 2022, on August 24th, in the framework of the 26th ICOM General Conference held in Prague).
Archive or archival fund: “An archive is a collection of documents, regardless of form or medium, automatically and organically created and/or accumulated in the course of the creator’s activities or functions” (International Council on Archives – ICA, ISAD(G): General International Standard Archival Description).
Corporate Museums and Business Archives are defined as institutions or structures linked to the economic activity of a company, a district or tradition of production with significant ties to the local area, and that are an exemplary expression of the company’s cultural policy.