Background

Specchio Piuma S.A.S. is a manufacturing company based in Aprilia, in the Lazio region of central Italy. Since 1993, it has been producing ultra light mirror panels made up of metalized polyester film upon a structural aluminum framework, weighing just about 1.5 kg per square meter.

Specchio Piuma’s light-weight mirrors are used in drop ceilings, and as exhibition and stage decorations. In addition to manufacturing, the company also provides consultancy services to customers in the field of design, production and sales.

Its intelligent and innovative solutions are valued by clients unable to satisfy their specific design requirements with ready-made products. The company creates products to client specifications using modern technologies applied to artisanal craftsmanship.

Research and Development

Conscious of the dynamic technological environment it operates in, Specchio Piuma is constantly monitoring and identifying competitors through participation in international events, exhibitions, marketing enquiries and public relations. Survival in the competitive marketplace is assured by technical innovation, implementation of company services, partnerships and joint ventures.

In particular, the enterprise has a strong innovation policy. The strategy applied is strictly combined with customized solutions developed and supplied by the company. Any “out-of-standard” activity is regarded as research and development (R&D). The other activities in the R&D area are related to the implementation of quality and innovation for the standard products developed during the past ten years.

The discretion of the employees and the reputation acquired in the past allow a good interface with the customers involved in the supply chain. In case of internal R&D, confidentiality is assured by the limited size of the internal workforce.

The company’s goal is to preserve the level of innovation reached with the implementation of intellectual property (IP) protection measures comprising both formal (patents, trademarks, designs and copyright) and informal (trade secrets) methods of protection.

Trademarks and Patents

Since its foundation, the company has used trademark protection to create a solid corporate identity and a strong external image. Trademark protection has been used for the company’s logo, name, and for the commercial names of new products and solutions. Such trademarks have given Specchio Piuma the opportunity to create and maintain a strong corporate identity inside its “high value” market niche.

Specchio Piuma has filed international patent applications to protect original products, and plans to continue using IP registration to protect the results from different R&D contracts carried out in cooperation with industrial partners or customers.

Patent protection is very important for innovative, high technology solutions. However, in the case of incremental innovation, when time-to-market becomes more important than technology issues, patent protection may have some disadvantage. With the publication of the patent, strategic technical information is made more accessible, and a third party could easily, with appropriate modifications or alterations, minimize the importance of the invention itself. Therefore, especially when design intensive solutions are involved, the company prefers to use copyright protection.

IP Management

A professional structure is used to manage all IP aspects and procedures. From the beginning, professional consultants evaluate every single IP action.

The company integrates its commercial information with the results of its innovation and consequently uses IP commercialization to highlight the identity of its products.

Business Results

Specchio Piuma quickly became market leader in Europe in their product segment and its global customer base includes important theaters and opera houses, such as the National Opera Theater in Paris, as well as major set decoration companies.

Achieving Market Leadership with Smart R&D and Branding Strategies

The combination of an exclusive manufacturing process and registered trademarks is the basis of Specchio Piuma’s competitive market position: while their manufacturing technology guarantees the high quality expected of their niche product, their trademarks ensure name recognition and associate Specchio Piuma’s brand and products with premium quality.

Source: WIPO