The home systems sector

Apulia has a long-established tradition of locally manufactured products for homes and buildings that has helped to build its reputation abroad. In 2013, thanks to the outstanding design and excellence of sectors such as the living-room furniture sector, Apulia’s furniture exports accounted for 4.2% of Italy’s total exports, a significant result in view of the global economic situation.

The home interiors sectoris now part of an integrated production chain comprising design, production and marketing. The offer is constantly evolving: upholstered furniture, kitchens, custom-made furnishings, environmentally friendly furniture, domotics, building components, windows and doors, and lighting, the main sectors.

The various manufacturing districts are located in different areas: upholstered furnishing and custom-made furniture is mainly produced in the Bari and Murgia area; window and door frames, and custom-made furniture are produced near Lecce as are building components, which are also made in the Taranto manufacturing district.
Having consolidated these production activities, Apulia has now taken on a new challenge: to turn homes and furnishings into a “smart system” bringing technology to every corner of the house, from lightbulbs to household appliances and sofas in order to improve the lives of all its inhabitants, including children, the elderly and the disabled.

In order to make homes smart we need to promote industrial research and innovation. Regional government recognises the importance of these areas, allocating considerable public incentives to them, and considering them drivers of the region’s development, along with internationalisation.