Bologna hosted the second stage of SAIE LABs - Itinerant Laboratories of Know-How - dedicated to hydrogeological instability in Emilia-Romagna and strategies for preventing and combating it.
The initiative attracted more than 270 professionals, confirming the growing attention of the construction sector to these moments of training and discussion on issues that directly involve the sector.
Moderated by Andrea Dari, director of Ingenio, the SAIE LAB in Bologna also saw the presence of numerous sponsoring companies, including Favaro1, which once again chose to support projects in line with its values, demonstrating concrete attention to environmental issues.
What are SAIE LABs
SAIE LABs are traveling technical workshops that promote discussion among construction professionals to share skills and innovations that can support operators to design, build and manage more efficient and sustainable buildings and infrastructure. Organized between March and June in Brescia, Bologna, Milan and Naples, these laboratories anticipate the fourth edition of SAIE Bari - The Construction Fair - scheduled for October 23-25, 2025, which has become one of the most important opportunities for updating, visibility and networking for the entire supply chain, with content and initiatives on the industry's central themes: sustainability, innovation, safety, energy efficiency and digitalization.
The situation in Emilia-Romagna
In Emilia-Romagna, increasingly extreme and frequent exceptional weather events, combined with urbanization and alteration of hydro-geomorphological balances, have made clear the need for an integrated approach to risk management, based on prevention, continuous monitoring and technological innovation. According to the latest IFFI report (Phenomeni Franosi in Italia (Landslide Phenomena in Italy), carried out by ISPRA in collaboration with regions and autonomous provinces, there will be 620,000 landslides recorded in Italy until 2023, including as many as 80,000 in Emilia-Romagna: 13 percent of the total.
To address the phenomenon and protect the natural and built heritage, 100 million euros from the PNRR have been allocated, distributed among 222 active regional projects. Economic support, however, is not enough: concrete actions and forward-looking strategies are needed to reduce the vulnerability of the territory and respond effectively to emergencies.
The SAIE LAB in Bologna offered a valuable moment of discussion among companies, technicians, planners, geologists, engineers, architects and representatives of institutions. Speeches throughout the day delved into the integration of technologies, materials, urban planning tools and digital solutions, highlighting approaches and tools to improve the resilience of areas at risk and make emergency management more efficient.
In particular, the conference presented case studies and proposals in the following areas:
geotechnics and soil stabilization;
monitoring systems and digitization;
hydraulics and water management;
urban planning and land resilience;
technological solutions for environmental safety.
The construction sector in Emilia-Romagna
Also presented during the SAIE LAB in Bologna was the SAIE Observatory, created in collaboration with Nomisma to analyze the health and expectations of Emilia-Romagna companies in the construction sector, which at the end of 2024 represented about 17 percent of the regional production fabric (65,210 active companies).
The sector shows signs of resilience: in 2024, 44% of companies kept their turnover stable in the last quarter, 12% recorded growth; forecasts for 2025 are positive, with 44% of companies expecting an increase in turnover.
About 50 percent of firms rate their order book as adequate, and the same percentage say they are confident about both their business and the Italian economic environment. Much more cautious, however, is the optimism toward the geopolitical scenario, which worries 8 out of 10 companies.
The main difficulties they face are: intense competition (67 percent), bureaucracy (58 percent) and shortage of qualified personnel (50 percent); compounded by regulatory uncertainty, high cost of raw materials and long payment times. At the same time, there is a growing demand for new professionals: clerks (42 percent) and digital/BIM experts (24 percent) are the most sought-after profiles.
Among the most appreciated government incentives are: the Superbonus 65% (44%), the Renovation Bonus (41%) and the Ecobonus (36%); less relevant are the Save House Decree (15%) and the Furniture Bonus (3%).
Businesses are also looking with interest at the NRP, especially for investments in energy efficiency, building safety, urban regeneration and school/university construction. Favorable reception for the European “Green Home” directive, with 56 percent of companies recognizing its potential in revitalizing the sector, enhancing real estate value and reducing energy consumption.
Towards SAIE Bari: the value of comparison for sustainable construction
The Bologna leg of the SAIE LABs confirmed the value of these meetings as moments of technical and strategic confrontation between professionals, companies and institutions. After the success of 2024 and the positive feedback of 2025, SAIE's traveling workshops continue to promote the dialogue between innovation, sustainability and territory, ahead of the next edition of SAIE Bari (October 23-25), a reference point for the entire construction supply chain.
In this scenario of increased attention to the quality of building, Favaro1 confirms itself as an attentive and active partner, capable of combining aesthetics, functionality and respect for the environment. The company's participation in SAIE LAB concretely testifies its commitment to more conscious and sustainable building, where urban regeneration and landscape care are at the center of every project.