Project

April 8, 2023 2025-05-22 9:09

Project

Manima Digital Atelier

Digital Atelier

MANIMA has created an innovative Digital Atelier, a model of “door-to-door entrepreneurship”, allowing for women to work as artisans no matter where they are. This plays a large part in our goals to reduce female unemployment in underserved areas of the country.

The technological platform is based on integrated software solutions which allow us to optimise all processes end- to-end, from creation to commercialisation. The heart of our systems is a digital suite to connect our workers and headquarters digitally, enabling us to keep constant communication, to train, control and streamline all workflows in a fully integrated digital ecosystem, while making artistic handcrafts scalable in an organic way. It also allows us to create, collaborate and design together with our clients, streamlining the customisation process working digitally as one.

Process

While each of our products is entirely hand-made in Sicily, from the first idea to the final product and customer care, our processes are supported by enabling technology. 

Digital designs, including 3D renderings are the basis of each product we develop. A special software application on a Digital Suite allows us to communicate with our embroiderers, to share with them the work to be done, the images and instructions, to follow the progress and take corrective action where needed. All software applications are connected to the ERP to increase efficiency and manage orders, production, deliveries and invoicing all together. 

Our Digital Atelier  is what makes MANIMA scalable and allows us to manage many artisans in different locations at the same time without ever compromising our quality.

Recognitions and Awards

MANIMA has been recognised nationally and internationally for its innovative social impact model. We were selected by the Italian Agency of Economic Development (Invitalia) for funding and recognised by the Italian Ministry of Culture. MANIMA received the PMX 2031 (Premio Marzotto Lazio Innova Award) in 2020, the Special Award Boost Your Ideas by Lazio Innova in 2022, and was chosen by Bankers without Boundaries in London for its acceleration programme. In 2025, MANIMA was named a winner of the Premio America Innovazione, awarded by Fondazione Italia USA to Italy’s most innovative and globally competitive startups and SMEs. This national recognition further affirms the value of our mission to combine heritage craftsmanship with digital innovation and social inclusion. Our project was co-funded with European funds for €210,472.63 through the Cultura Crea 2.0 programme. These resources have supported the development of Europe’s first Digital Atelier for artisans, enabling them to work from home under fair and transparent conditions via our digital platform. This model has created meaningful work opportunities for women across Sicily, and supported the opening of our first physical atelier and showroom in Palermo.

PIazzetta Santo Spirito 9
90133 Palermo