A recognition celebrating the use of AI to drive Made in Italy innovation and digitalisation of production processes
A panel of experts awarded EZ Lab the Luca Ometto Award 2025, recognising the company as a centre of excellence in the application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the Digital Product Passport (DPP) to support businesses and Made in Italy. This achievement demonstrates how emerging technologies can be seamlessly integrated into corporate strategy. They become tools to optimise processes, enhance traceability, and leverage internal know-how without ever replacing people. The award highlights how AI and the DPP can reduce costs, increase competitiveness, and drive growth from local enterprises to international markets.
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The Luca Ometto Award for accessible, human-centred digital innovation
On 2 October, the Luca Ometto Award ceremony was held in the historic Sala Rossini at Caffè Pedrocchi in Padua. The initiative, promoted by the Luca Ometto Foundation, is committed to promoting a culture of cardiac protection through the installation of defibrillators in workplaces and public spaces. Hosted by Ludovica Casellati, the event featured representatives from the City of Padua. This included Provincial Councillor Eleonora Mosco and Innovation Councillor Margherita Cera. The judging panel, comprising Paolo Gubitta (Professor, University of Padua), Franco Conzato (CEO, Venicepromex), Donata Boesso (Manager Assistant, University of Padua), and Pier Andrea Zaffoni (Executive Officer, Padua Chamber of Commerce), recognised EZ Lab as a centre of excellence in AI application. They defined its submitted project as a benchmark for the sector.
AI, DPP & Made in Italy: technology, traceability, and human value
At the Luca Ometto Award ceremony, our CEO, Massimo Morbiato, spoke about the winning project. Through collaboration with Via della Paglia, a luxury footwear brand from the Riviera del Brenta, EZ Lab combined technology and craftsmanship. This partnership created the first shoe designed with AI support and digitally tracked through the Digital Product Passport. This is in line with upcoming Ecodesign Regulations (ESPR) for fashion. In this project, AI does not replace human expertise; it enhances it by analysing data and trends to support designers during ideation and development. Meanwhile, blockchain ensures transparency, authenticity, and traceability throughout the production chain. This tangible model of AI and DPP integration represents the future of the Made in Italy industry. It showcases innovation that originates locally and sets an example for the international fashion and manufacturing sectors.
The Luca Ometto Award celebrates accessible innovation: how DPP and AI drive sustainability, internationalisation, and regulatory compliance
The recognition awarded to EZ Lab underlines how AI and the Digital Product Passport can be strategic tools not only for process optimisation but also for supporting companies in internationalisation and compliance with new European sustainability and traceability standards. Ecodesign regulations and European product transparency directives impose increasingly stringent requirements regarding reporting and circularity. With the DPP, companies can manage all information related to materials, suppliers, and product lifecycle in an integrated manner. This approach simplifies compliance and enhances brand credibility in international markets. AI further enables real-time data analysis, resource optimisation, and identification of new business opportunities. This fosters sustainable growth and global expansion. Technology and innovation thus become levers to strengthen the competitiveness of Made in Italy while upholding its core values of transparency and quality.
The Luca Ometto Award demonstrates that digitalisation is accessible even for SMEs and micro-enterprises with EZ Lab
EZ Lab demonstrates that digital transformation is not reserved for large companies. Through scalable, user-friendly solutions, even micro and small enterprises can integrate AI and the Digital Product Passport into their production processes. They can do so without technical complexity or excessive costs. Digitalisation makes processes more transparent, traceable, and sustainable. From production optimisation to supply chain management, it enhances the value of products in global markets. EZ Lab guides SMEs through this journey. They simplify the adoption of advanced technologies and transform them into practical tools. These tools improve efficiency, strengthen traceability, and enhance corporate reputation. With a technology partner like EZ Lab, even the smallest companies can innovate in a concrete way. They can keep people, creativity, and quality, as the hallmarks of Made in Italy, at the centre.
Bring your business into the future of optimisation with AI and the Digital Product Passport
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