Success stories

Period of exchange: 09/2009 until 12/2009
Duration of exchange: 3 months

Maria Luisa Vitobello (HE) is a goldsmith, specialized in ancient jewellery technologies, and a designer of collections where she applies advanced hi tech solutions. Kaisu Mäkinen (NE) owns Kaiku Koru, a company established in 2008, specialised in designing and making unique jewelry of high quality. Maria Luisa joined the programe in order to help enrich Kaisu’s business, production and design experience through transfer of technology, but was also looking to explore new markets. Maria Luisa was hoping to establish new relations with companies from the Finnish Jewellery Industry. Kaisu was looking for new contacts, new ideas and different ways to help her improve her business.

Both entrepreneurs undertook various tasks together: designing various collections in silver and leftover broken pieces of Iittala glass, preparing a report on the process, including research and development activities, designs, trials, production, cost calculations, marketing activities and potential sale.

Maria Luisa proposed to employ leftover, broken glass from world famous Finnish glass factory Iittala and use them in place of costly stones in pieces of jewellery. The idea was further elaborated by Kaisu in a project ‘I vetri di Kaisu’ (Kaisu’s glass’), proposed to Iittala, which liked the idea very much. Kaisu is now working on the collection which will be sold in Iittala Outlet shops.