Arexpo MIND
MIND. Transforming a vision for the country into reality
MIND Milano Innovation District is the main project curated by Arexpo. The innovation district, a centre of knowledge and enterprise with international ambitions, is the result of the institutions’ will to create a great ecosystem for socio-economic development in the area which hosted Expo Milano 2015, in a strategic position for the entire territory.
The creation of MIND, a multifunctional space with a strong focus on a sustainable future, is the first result of our action model. The intervention is possible thanks to the involvement of a preeminent global company, Lendlease, through a 99-year concession of the area, for an operation that envisages a total investment of approximately 4 billion euros.
The international place for research and innovation, Milan’s new district
A place of new conception: a city of the future where life and innovation come together.
At the heart of MIND’s vision is inclusiveness and integration. In addition to its size, the new district differs from all other scientific and business centres in the close compenetration of different uses (R&D, education, work, entertainment, services, sport, housing) and the coexistence of high-level private and public functions: a hub for the creation of knowledge, the attraction of companies and the growth of start-ups. A place to live, animated by a community of researchers, students, professionals and residents, a vital part of Milan’s urban fabric.
All of MIND’s spaces, starting by the master plan, focus on technology, architectural quality and the environment, with widespread green areas and sustainable mobility solutions, for a system capable of renewal over time.
Key public involvement
Human Technopole
Human Technopole
Italy’s new research institute for life sciences is established in 2018 in former Palazzo Italia (Expo 2015). New laboratories under construction.
Galeazzi Hospital
Galeazzi Hospital
A medical centre for the health care of the future, it will house patients and researchers in a 16-storey hospital (completion 2022).
Unimi Campus
Unimi Campus
La Statale, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan’s State University, is ready to build a science campus in MIND for 18,000 students.
Fondazione Triulza
Fondazione Triulza
Centre for social innovation, active since the beginning of Expo 2015 in a renovated farmhouse. It opens MIND’s doors to the Third Sector.
From owners to growth promoters
2011-2015. At the origins of the intervention
The plots of land destined to host the Universal Exposition are gathered under one ownership by the company Arexpo in 2011. The Expo Milano 2015 experience gathers the contribution of 141 countries on the area, with the participation of 21-million visitors.
2015. A future to be built
With the end of the event our task changes. Arexpo is called upon to regenerate the entire site: the area, a large reclaimed and infrastructured area on the gates of Milan, opens up to development inspired by the ideas of innovation and research.
2016-2017. The events and the public
While waiting for the transformation, the choice is to open up the place with events and collaborations to keep the area alive and usable — an activity that will accompany us until the start of construction. At the same time, we define the first agreements with institutions (Human Technopole and IRCSS health hub).
2017. A call for innovation
The dialogue with the operators and the administration allows us to improve the ambitions of the project. Thanks to the ability to mediate, Arexpo is able to propose a 99-year concession of the area to the private sector, which was then awarded to Lendlease. It is a pilot case in Italy.
2018-2019. The MIND masterplan
The partnership gives rise to MIND Milano Innovation District. The idea of an ‘urban laboratory’ brings together the perspectives of the many entities involved, including the future university campus of the science faculties of Milan State University. The project gradually gains strength, also in the city’s perception.
2020-2021. Development continues
MIND is preparing to become Milan’s new innovation district. As the various construction sites progress, Arexpo’s commitment continues: as Lendlease contact persons, institutional relations managers, coordinators in the district’s public activities.
The role of Common Ground
MIND’s vision as a platform for exchange and collective development is reflected in the idea of Common Ground: an open, uninterrupted ground floor throughout the entire site — a meeting space and therefore a reason for innovation.
