Innovation for sustainability in the fashion and uxury sector through innovation in the ecosystem: the case of Milan – MUSA project

The fashion, luxury, and design system represent one of the excellences of Milan and Lombardy. It is a highly competitive ecosystem, based on both large and small companies, with a strong connection to the territory, which have built networks among companies and productive subsystems over the years. This luxury industry has been able to influence trends and business models in the Italian and global industries. Within this context, sponsored by MUSA (Multilayered Urban Sustainability Action, an Innovation Ecosystem founded by the Ministry of University and Research under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan) and in cooperation with the major Universities of Milan, a research group has been established engaging people mainly from Politecnico di Milano and Bocconi University in order to deepen and facilitate the transition to new business models, based on supply chains guided by principles of sustainability and circularity, in terms of adopting more sustainable raw materials, using cleaner production processes, and redefining strategies for product enhancement and branding.