Going Back to the Roots

The source of innovation can be often found in history, so as we look forward to the future we often have to rely on the past for knowledge and experience. Inspired by the popular movie “Back to the Future”, LDV20 in partnership with Youth Magazine launched a cycle of networking events “Ritorno al Futuro” that will cover a variety of topics about sustainability and innovation that are influenced by the past and improve the present.

The topic of our first event named “Ritorno alle Radici” was tourism. Tourism has an enormous impact on the modern world, but the solutions often prove to be unsustainable and having a detrimental long term effect on the local community and culture. One project that provides a solution that can bring value to the community while providing a wonderful tourist destination is Ospitar.

We invited Francesco Gabbi to take part in the first event of Ritorno al Futuro, which was hosted at Youth Magazine on the 26th of September. As CBS president and Ospitar in Trentino project manager, Francesco Gabbi had the opportunity to share and discuss this alternative to widespread tourism. The idea was born while trying to find a use for abandoned buildings that could boost the local economy and environment.

This project became an amazing opportunity for the community by creating jobs, allowing them to share the culture and become part of the tourism sector while creating continuous value. The homeowners also receive the necessary support when setting up the business and launching the service through popular communication channels.
Ospitar started in May 2018 and works together with the Municipalities to get in contact with the building owners. Already proving to be successful, Ospitar is expanding to the surrounding areas of Trentino and is looking for ways to scale the project to a national level.

Projects like these remind us that innovation can apply in any sector and in any location with a little Reverse Thinking.