The Alamastr pilot project at Pesco Innovation Hub in Pescopagano
Pesco Innovation Hub, based in Pescopagano in Basilicata, was founded with the aim of becoming a point of reference for those who wish to create a new business, offering concrete support throughout the entire journey that transforms an idea into reality. Currently, our work is focused on defining the services, skills, and infrastructures needed to best accompany those who decide to embark on a new entrepreneurial path.
It is for this reason that we chose to launch a pilot project with Alamastr, a young artisan company that creates custom-made eyewear using high-quality natural materials, combining creativity, sustainability, and innovation. Through our work alongside Alamastr, we are experimenting with which tools, pathways, and support models prove most effective in helping those who, starting from scratch, decide to transform an idea into a business.
The experience with Alamastr in Pescopagano teaches us a great deal about how a technology hub can support a startup in its early stages: from defining the business model to communication, from operational management to growth strategy. Every challenge faced together becomes a wealth of knowledge for our hub.
This journey represents not only an entrepreneurial challenge, but also a living laboratory in which we test solutions that, in the future, can be made available to many other innovators.
We firmly believe that even from a small town in Basilicata, startups and experiences capable of looking far ahead can emerge: with deep roots in tradition and a gaze directed toward the future — a concrete example of rural innovation in Italy.
It is for this reason that we chose to launch a pilot project with Alamastr, a young artisan company that creates custom-made eyewear using high-quality natural materials, combining creativity, sustainability, and innovation. Through our work alongside Alamastr, we are experimenting with which tools, pathways, and support models prove most effective in helping those who, starting from scratch, decide to transform an idea into a business.
The experience with Alamastr in Pescopagano teaches us a great deal about how a technology hub can support a startup in its early stages: from defining the business model to communication, from operational management to growth strategy. Every challenge faced together becomes a wealth of knowledge for our hub.
This journey represents not only an entrepreneurial challenge, but also a living laboratory in which we test solutions that, in the future, can be made available to many other innovators.
We firmly believe that even from a small town in Basilicata, startups and experiences capable of looking far ahead can emerge: with deep roots in tradition and a gaze directed toward the future — a concrete example of rural innovation in Italy.
Services of the first pilot year: how the Hub supports Alamastr
The pilot project with Alamastr has a duration of one year and is conceived as a living laboratory, in which services are experimented with and progressively refined. During these months, the Pesco Innovation Hub has made available to the startup a concrete set of tools designed to accompany Alamastr from its early stages through to market presence. These are services still in evolution, improved precisely thanks to hands-on experience with the first venture hosted in Pescopagano, in Basilicata.
Strategic planning with an AI agent system
The first service concerns strategic planning. The Hub has made available to Alamastr the tool KRLee, another startup supported by the association, which offers founders a team of artificial intelligence-based agents for goal planning and a platform to manage strategic priorities in the early stages, when it comes to moving from Zero to One. In this way, even a small artisan business gains access to a level of analysis and planning normally reserved for more structured enterprises.
Website development and launch
A second pillar of the support was the development and launch of the Alamastr website, an essential step to go beyond the boundaries of the local market. For a startup born in a small town in Basilicata, a well-crafted digital presence is the main lever for reaching customers throughout Italy and enhancing the uniqueness of the product: bespoke handcrafted eyewear made from natural materials.
Coworking and prototyping: a fully equipped physical space
The third service is the dedicated coworking space, equipped with prototyping tools. Having a fully equipped physical location in Pescopagano allows anyone who wants to start a business to experiment and prototype without having to invest in the purchase of expensive equipment: it is the Hub that makes it available. A concrete piece of the rural innovation infrastructure that the association is building for the territory.
