The Fabbriche Aperte LAB experience: the chemicals hub in Spinetta Marengo engages with the community

The Amapola project for the local Syensqo production site.

A listening, dialogue and engagement program with the local community to learn more about the Syensqo factory (formerly Solvay) in Spinetta Marengo and strengthen territorial relations. Fabbriche Aperte LAB was all of this. The project was created as a continuation of the Fabbriche Aperte format, which in 2022 brought around a thousand people into the local chemicals plant, for an event designed to tell local residents about results achieved and provide information about current projects (click here for the report). To ensure continuity for the initiative, in 2023 Syensqo worked together with Amapola to plan the new cycle of theme-based meetings.

So the factory doors opened once again to enable local stakeholders to learn more about the company’s production operations, markets, technologies, innovation and environmental protection projects, but above all to interact with the people whose passion and expertise animate the factory. More than 300 local residents took part in the meetings.

The Fabbriche Aperte LAB program

From April to October 2023, 5 meetings were held in the factory: Moving forward to 2030, the hydrogen challenge; The remediation project: progress report; The environmental protection system inside and outside the factory; Did you know that in Spinetta today…; PFAS, moving towards technical zero. Each event included a guided tour on a shuttle bus to the factory plants and departments, followed by a listening and engagement workshop, attended by a professional facilitator.

The employees took part as tutors and guides, and were also involved in the workshops, after special training. The program ended with a closing feedback event, at which the results of the initiative were presented, and future developments were announced.

Objectives

The program was designed to encourage the visitors to offer project ideas to be assessed by the company as initiatives for joint development. It provided a strategic opportunity for listening, communication and relationship building with internal and external stakeholders. Internally, objectives, projects, results and corporate strategy were shared with employees to foster a sense of belonging. Externally, engagement with the community was facilitated by highlighting value created and shared, and raising perception of transparency in the narration of the company’s projects.

«We have undertaken not to waste the opinions, questions and suggestions built up over the course of the program, so that we can continue with new initiatives that raise the bar of frank and transparent discussion between people who work in the company and representatives of the community,» said Spinetta Marengo Site Manager  Stefano Colosio. «We realise that the technological innovation of our productions can generate value only if it is accompanied by social innovation created with and for people.»

The Amapola project for Fabbriche Aperte LAB

Amapola assisted Syensqo with the planning of the “Lab”, providing support on the organisation of the project and management of strategy, facilitation and communication. To optimise the workshops, expert facilitation training was organised for employees involved in the meetings and tours, using specialised techniques with the assistance of certified professional facilitators.

Amapola was also involved with the content and key messages of the meetings, working alongside the company, as well as with the visual identity of the initiative and all communication materials (flyers, posters, invitations, digital cards, advertisements and editorials, experience diary, video report of the closing event).

Click here for the project file: https://www.amapola.it/project/syensqo-fabbriche-aperte-lab/