Diapositiva 1

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The North-West Resource Center A pilot project
based on the LNET experience - Milano
Metropoli Development Agency -
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TARGET AREA

• North-West Milan some data
• 11 municipalities located in the north-west part
  of the Milan Province
• one of the gateways to the city
• high rates of immigration from extra-EU
• countries (Balcans and North Africa)
• ageing local population
• History and problems
• Industrial crisis badly affected the traditional
  drawing sectors in the last years
• motor sector (Alfa Romeo and its contest),
  pharmaceutical chemical and
• mechanical sector
• crumbling of traditional productive system and
  strong need for urban regeneration
• heavy unemployment caused by low professionalism
• low school-attendance rate
• speculative boom of the real estate market
• pockets of poverty, with poor school attendance
  rates and micro-criminality

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TARGET AREA
WEAKNESSES BROWNFIELDS UNEMPLOYMENT POVERTY LACK
OF SERVICES ABANDONED PUBLIC BUILDING AND SPACES
STRENGHTS AVAILABILITY OF RESOURCES TO BE
RESTORED (GREEN AREAS, PUBLIC BUILDINGS) STRATEGI
C LOCATION (POLITECNICO UNIVERSITY, THE NEW FAIR,
SACCO HOSPITAL) GOOD INFRASTRUCTURAL
SYSTEMS VITAL SOCIAL TEXTURE (DISCTRICT
ASSOCIATIONS, SOCIAL ECONOMY ORGANIZATIONS ETC.)
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DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT

• OBJECTIVE
• set up and start in the target area the
  North-west resource center
• - supporting the development of projects and
  enterpreneurial
• ideas (profit or non profit) with a clear social
  value arising from the community.
• - setting up new tools for promoting economic
  development
• and social cohesion
• matching resources, opportunities and potential
  stakeholders

FUNDING ALLOCATED
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LNET A SOURCE OF INSPIRATION
The Urban Project London, provides tailored and
accessible businness support to disadvantaged
groups and the local community The (V)MBO
business school Amsterdam, promotes
entrepreneurship among young students Jump
Start In spire (London), provides business
support, mentoring and networking aiming to
break down the barriers to innovation faced by
ethnic-minority owned businesses Entrepreneurs
without Borders (Hamburg), helps to promote
entrepreneurship among migrants in Hamburg. A
range of innovative methods are used to ensure
that business support is made as accessible as
possible to the target group.
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SPECIFIC ACTIONS PERFORMED

• 1. Draft of the North-West strategy paper and
  SWOT analysis
• 2. Start up and opening of the resource centre
  (location, training for staff involved ecc.)
• 3. Resource Centres activities
• Participative planning process in the
  Municipality of Baranzate
• Regular information and consultancy service
  provision to target groups
• Database of spaces and premises available
• Virtual social enterprises incubator, promotion
  of a social economy district
• (with reference to social responsible
  production and consumption)
• Learning path addressed to foster
  enterpreneurship among young students
• Neighbourhood free press addressed to migrants
  and ethnic enterpreneurs
• One local event on how to support ethnic
  enterpreneurship (September 2007)

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PARTNERS INVOLVED

• Creation of partnership with old and new
  relevant local partner
• Comunimprese, the development agency for the
  North-West Milan)
• BIC La Fucina, business innovation center located
  in the North Milan)
• FCT, local association working for promoting
  sustainable lifestyles
• VITA Consulting, non profit organization
  developing social marketing project
• Genius Loci, expert in participative planning
  processes
• Domus Academy, post-graduate school of urban
  design
• Strong added value (knowledge will remain within
  the resource center)
• and opportunities for further collaborations

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RESULTS
Office opened in the Quarto Oggiaro
district (within Milan city border) Almost 60
information and consultancy service provision to
target groups, mostly people of the area who
wants to become enterpreneur or social
enterpreneur A first network of associations who
wants to start a social economy district (the
Urban bid) Neighbourhood free press proved its
viability, promotion towards public and private
sponsors (Urban bid) Learning path among
students will take place in Autumn 2007 Full
involvement of local stakeholders in the
participative planning process in Baranzate (40
organizations). Strong partnership with the
municipality
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CHALLENGES AND SUSTAINABILITY
WHAT WILL HAPPEN NEXT? a permanent antenna on
the territory is crucial if you want to deliver
tailored services to local communitiesbut costs
are high How to be more effective?
Activities towards specific target groups to be
implemented (i.e. migrants) no generalistic
approach, improve relationships with different
local communities
Improve visibility to better reach target groups
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CHALLENGES AND SUSTAINABILITY
WHAT WILL HAPPEN NEXT? a permanent antenna on
the territory is crucial if you want to deliver
tailored services to local communitiesbut costs
are high Each activity should be economically
sustainable!
Be coherent with local strategies and policies
operative programmes, public bids
Involve private and public partners to get
funds public authorities, third sector and
foundations, enterprises and their
representatives
Need for a permanent seat, without costs for
renting the space (probably offered by the
Municipality of Rho)
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THANK YOU! For further information Gianluca
Sala Milano Metropoli Development
Agency sala_at_milanomet.it 39 02 24126567