The silk industry has a rich history in Italy, but modern challenges have brought this centuries-old tradition to the brink of decline. Once a cornerstone of the rural economy in Italy, with a strong presence in Zagarolo, Rome, silk production has dwindled in the country due to industrial developments, synthetic fibers’ growing popularity, and fierce price competition from foreign exporters. Enter Tecnoseta, a small startup founded in 2019 with a bold mission: to rebuild and innovate the silk production chain, making it 100% Made in Italy.
By combining traditional silk production expertise with modern Industry 4.0 technology, Tecnoseta’s founders have envisioned a sustainable, modular system to produce high-quality Italian silk. Their goals include not only manufacturing efficient, high-tech machinery but also revitalizing rural communities and offering hope to younger generations by creating local job opportunities.
“We’ve grown alongside Arduino. As the platform evolved, we were ready to seize the new possibilities.” – Maddalena Mariani, co-founder and CEO of Tecnoseta
Tecnoseta turned to Arduino’s accessible and reliable technology to bring their vision to life. Thanks to our open-source platform, their in-house team has developed a modular line of high-performance machinery tailored for each step of silk production, including reeling, re-reeling, twisting, and spooling.
Using the Arduino Nano Every and Nano 33 IoT, they implemented automated processes and sensor-based monitoring across their specialized equipment. This allows for real-time fault detection, such as alerting operators when a silk thread breaks. This innovation drastically reduces downtime and improves efficiency, even for small-scale production.
The modularity of Tecnoseta’s system means clients can scale operations according to their needs, from artisanal to industrial. The machines are also designed to integrate with renewable energy sources like solar panels, reflecting a strong commitment to sustainability.
Now the company is looking to the future, exploring ways to enhance their machinery with advanced sensors for predictive maintenance.
Leveraging tools like Arduino Cloud and the Opta micro PLC, Tecnoseta plans to collect data from the machines to monitor their performance and quickly intervene remotely in case of any issues, ensuring even greater reliability and precision. As their technology evolves, the company’s mission remains rooted in their heritage: combining cutting-edge innovation with traditional craftsmanship to create a sustainable future for the Italian silk industry.
Tecnoseta is now working within an agritech framework, to develop high-tech architectures and AI models for the automated management of silkworm breeding. “By supporting the transition of Italy’s sericulture to truly modern standards, we aim to have a positive impact on the local territory by attracting highly specialized professionals. What’s more, it will add to Italy’s competitive edge while making the supply chain more efficient and sustainable,” says Maddalena Mariani, co-founder and CEO.
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