This ‘fi-compass Showcase 2019’ submission is a video story about CIDAS, a social cooperative operative in four regions in Italy. The cooperative provides social services for elderly people and people with disabilities. It is also active in fields such as minors integration and reception of migrants, social integration and labour market inclusion. With help of the financial support of Emilia-Romagna region’s Energy Fund, the CIDAS nursing home in Ferrara in the Emilia-Romagna region purchased a micro-cogeneration plant with the objective to make this facility with the capacity of 186 elderly people more energy efficient. The Energy Fund is a financial instrument co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and part of Emilia-Romagna ERDF ROP 2014-2020. In this video, Mr Marcello, the Facility Manager of CIDAS, explains in detail how the facility’s heating and lighting were modernised with the help of the new micro-cogeneration plant and states: “All activities mentioned make part of the company’s philosophy of continuous improvement and greater attention to the consumption, the environment and the life quality of our residents.”

This ‘fi-compass Showcase 2019’ submission is a video story about Metalcontrol, a small mechanic company from Poviglio, Reggio Emilia in the Emilia-Romagna region in Italy. The company received financial support through the region’s Energy Fund and used it to finance the technological transformation of the company’s facilities. This included the change of all lighting units in the company to new LED technology-based lighting in order to reduce the company’s energy consumption and CO2 emissions. The Energy Fund is a financial instrument co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and part of Emilia-Romagna ERDF ROP 2014-2020. In the video, Federica Marmiroli, Chief Coordinator of Metalcontrol, explains how potential energy efficiency measures were identified in the company. The company is planning to use the resources of the Energy Fund also for future energy efficiency projects: “Thanks to the Energy Fund, the company has the opportunity, in the coming years, to further invest in its energy efficiency project, in line with our growth goals, with significant eco-friendly and sustainable approach.”

This ‘fi-compass Showcase 2019’ submission is a video story about Gomedia Satcom, an innovative start-up company founded in 2016 and based in Catania, Sicily, in the South of Italy. The company offers satellite connectivity services through the use of a new technology called Noise Reduction System (NRS).

Gaetano Morena, Managing Director of Gomedia Satcom, explains: “The difference and our competitive advantage lies in the speed of the services we deliver.” The company received a low-interest loan of over EUR 800 000 from Fondo Rotativo Smart&Start, a financial instrument co-financed with resources from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) under the National Operational Program ‘Enterprise and Competitiveness 2014-2020’, to further develop its business.

Marco Terzago, Partner at Gomedia Satcom, says: “This funding package has enabled us to reach out to new clients and to expand our services even more, building on what was already a good service. But, without this European funding we wouldn’t have been able to grow our market any further.”

The video includes a practical demonstration on how the satellite connection is established with Gomedia Satcom’s solutions.