Istituto Marangoni Milano Design opens new Via Verri campus in Milan

Istituto Marangoni Milano Design has unveiled a new campus in Milan’s Luxury District, built around applied research, advanced technologies and industry partnerships. The school says the move is designed to prepare students for the changing luxury and high-end design market.

Why it matters: - Istituto Marangoni Milano Design is positioning itself as a bridge between design education, applied research and industry needs in the luxury and high-end sectors. - The new campus is meant to help students and partner companies test ideas, technologies and business models before they reach the market. - The expansion comes as the school reports a 91% employability rate and a first entry into the global Top 50 for Art & Design in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2026.

What happened: - Istituto Marangoni Milano Design opened a new campus at Via Verri 4 in Milan. - The site sits in the city’s Luxury District, between Via Montenapoleone and the Durini Design District. - The campus spans five floors and includes more than 500 square metres of laboratories for prototyping and materials research. - The school also added a Media & Events Hub, collaborative spaces and a panoramic rooftop for its international community. - Barbara Toscano, School Director of Istituto Marangoni Milano Design, said the school wants to be “the place where the future of design is explored and tested before it reaches the market.”

The details: - The new campus centers on the Advanced Design Research Centre, which focuses on applied research and experimentation for luxury and high-end design. - The centre connects emerging technologies to the full design cycle, from ideation and concept development to prototyping, product creation and communication. - The campus includes a 3D Printing Farm, an Advanced Prototyping Lab and an AI Innovation Lab. - The AI Innovation Lab explores generative artificial intelligence in audiovisual production. - The Advanced Design Research Centre is designed as a platform for dialogue between education, research and industry. - The centre brings together companies, institutions, faculty members, researchers and students. - The school says that model supports interdisciplinary projects, new materials, production processes, experiences and business models. - The academic offer now covers Product Design, Interior Design, Visual Communication Design and Design Innovation. - The school offers undergraduate and postgraduate degrees, intensive courses, Master’s programmes and new professional development courses. - The curriculum combines design practice, emerging technologies and a managerial perspective. - The approach is intended to move students from initial intuition to prototype development while also addressing economic viability. - Mentors for the academic year include Elena Salmistraro for all undergraduate programmes. - Master’s programme mentors include Marcel Wanders, Luca Fuso, Giulio Cappellini, Carlo Colombo, M+C Saatchi Group, Dimorestudio and Odoardo Fioravanti. - Projects developed from real-world briefs will be presented during Milan Design Week.

Between the lines: - The new campus reflects a wider push by design schools to connect education more tightly with industry, especially as tools like generative AI and advanced prototyping reshape creative work. - The emphasis on human sensitivity, creativity and critical thinking suggests the school is trying to frame technology as a support tool, not the main driver, of design thinking. - The combination of luxury-sector partnerships and applied research points to a strategy aimed at both prestige and market relevance.

What’s next: - For the 2026/2027 academic year, Ferrari will work with students in the Master’s Degree in Communication Design. - Cartier will collaborate with the Master in Fine Jewellery Design. - Alessi will support experimentation in product design, with a focus on emerging technologies and Physical AI. - A new partnership with Como 1907 will involve students from Product Design and Digital Design for Immersive Experiences in a project to furnish the club’s spaces. - The school says those collaborations will bring sport, design and lifestyle into the same projects. - The school will continue to showcase student work tied to real-world briefs, including at Milan Design Week.

The bottom line: - Istituto Marangoni Milano Design is using its new Milan campus to sharpen a simple message: the future of design will be built where research, technology and industry meet.