My MOBILISE SME Experience in Venice: Crafting Innovation with Alphacer

In August 2021, I began a six-month journey in Venice as part of the MOBILISE SME program — a European mobility scheme designed to connect small and medium-sized enterprises across borders for knowledge exchange, collaboration, and skills development.

For me, as the founder of GreenerEU, this wasn’t just a professional opportunity — it was a chance to immerse myself in Venice’s complex ecosystem of artisanship, cultural heritage, and entrepreneurship, and to explore how tradition and innovation can truly coexist.

A Host Who Bridges Past and Future

My host was Luca Cerofolino, founder of the Venetian company Alphacer, which has over a decade of experience in digital communication and consultancy for small and medium-sized enterprises — particularly in the artisan and cultural heritage sectors.

What made our collaboration unique was Luca’s ability to navigate between traditional know-how and the evolving world of digital tools. Together, we set out to explore how the stories of Venetian artisans could find new life and reach wider audiences through digital innovation, international networking, and strategic communication.

Bringing Sustainable Tourism to Life

Over the course of six months, we worked on several initiatives aimed at transforming Venice’s tourism narrative into one that prioritizes sustainability, creativity, and local identity. One of our major outputs was a series of micro-itineraries for responsible tourism, brought to life through augmented and virtual reality, using historic maps, hand-drawn illustrations, and original watercolors.

Some of these artworks were exhibited near Piazza San Marco, allowing locals and visitors alike to engage with a side of Venice that rarely makes it into guidebooks: a living city of makers, stories, and innovation.

Collaborations That Matter

Throughout the project, we collaborated with more than 10 local associations, building community ties and co-designing ideas with cultural practitioners, creatives, and entrepreneurs. It was an extraordinary opportunity to strengthen GreenerEU’s local presence while planting the seeds for future European partnerships.

We also worked with several artisans, including Paolo Olbi, one of the last Venetian master bookbinders, creating a virtual tour of his workshop and helping him expand his online presence. Paolo is now featured on the Homo Faber App and the Venice Original platform by CNA and JP Morgan — a meaningful result for the visibility of craftsmanship in the digital age.

One of my personal dreams is to eventually print our sustainable tourism maps using Paolo’s historic techniques, combining printmaking, binding, and storytelling in a unique product that embodies both tradition and sustainability.

From Concept to Connection

The journey with Alphacer followed a clear path of exploration and growth. In the early months, we focused on market research and product development, followed by user testing and digital validation. We then moved into service iteration, audience engagement, and finally, designing the next steps for long-term collaboration — including EU project proposals that could continue what we began.

But beyond the structured timeline, this was a deeply collaborative and human process. Working with Luca meant being part of a conversation that valued curiosity, experimentation, and shared vision — the essence of what European cooperation should be.

A Foundation for the Future

Looking back, my MOBILISE SME experience was about much more than tools or deliverables. It was about building relationships — with Luca, with the Alphacer team, with artisans, with local actors — and understanding how innovation can be rooted in care, continuity, and culture.

This secondment helped me grow GreenerEU’s mission, strengthen our Italian network, and imagine new ways of supporting female entrepreneurship, sustainable tourism, and craftsmanship in the digital age.

If you’re curious to explore some of the results and ongoing ideas, you can find them here:

🔗 www.greenereu.com/projects

And to Luca: thank you for believing in the power of cross-border collaboration. This end is only the beginning.

—

M.A. Isabella Mavellia

Founder & Coordinator, GreenerEU