Lugano joins Lifestyle Tech Competence Center

The city of Lugano is now actively supporting the Lifestyle Tech Competence Center (LTCC), which was founded 18 months ago. As a result of Lugano joining the LTCC, city councilor Filippo Lombardi will sit on the administrative board. According to a report in “Ticino Welcome”, the city council has also announced that it will apply to the city parliament at the end of September for credit to identify a location for the LTCC in the metropolitan area. A decision is expected to be made at the end of the year.

Das LTCC promotes innovative projects from companies based in Ticino in the sectors of fashion and design, travel and sport, health and cosmetics, and the food industry. The hub brings together academic research, brands, retailers, large technology companies, and globally active startups. Its members include Bally, Guess, Microsoft, and Antares.

Mayor of Lugano Michele Foletti expressed that this has become a “dynamic sector”, creating suppliers and service companies as well as jobs. According to information from the President of the LTCC, Carlo Terreni, the member companies have already created around 100 jobs since the LTCC was established.

The LTCC is to be one of the three pillars of the planned Innovation Park Ticino in Bellinzona. The others are Swiss Drone Base Camp in Lodrino and bios+, a life sciences competence center in Bellinzona.

The LTCC will closely collaborate with the Università della Svizzera italiana (USI) and Scuola universitaria professionale della Svizzera italiana (SUPSI) as well as the Ticino-based startup and SME promotor Fondazione Agire. Giovanna Melillo, Senior Manager DACH of the business and strategy consultancy firm Accenture, also included the Back To Ticino project, which was set up a year ago. This aims to entice young skilled workers who have emigrated back to Ticino.