Salone del Mobile.Milano Milan Design (Eco) System 2024 Annual Report

A research platform
8 chapters · 260 pages · 95 charts · 37 data holders

With this inaugural edition, the Report defines the boundaries of a new field of observation: design understood as an urban, productive and cultural ecosystem to be analysed continuously over time.

Promoted by the Salone del Mobile.Milano with the scientific supervision by the Politecnico di Milano, the 2024 Report represents the first chapter of a research programme intended to evolve into a permanent Observatory on the Milan Design System.

The analysis brings together the Salone del Mobile.Milano, Milan Design Week, professional practices, businesses, education, culture, mobility and urban impact within a single systemic framework. Its aim is to develop shared tools for interpretation and governance, helping to understand how design contributes to Milan’s competitiveness, identity and evolution.

The figures of 2024

The Salone model
370,824 visitors · 65.6% international attendance 

The Salone becomes both the driving force and the coordinating platform of a broader system, capable of transforming the trade fair dimension into an international platform extending well beyond the period of the trade fair itself.

The 2024 edition confirms the international role of Salone del Mobile.Milano as a physical and digital platform active 365 days a year. The data reveal an ecosystem capable of generating professional relationships, business opportunities, cultural content and new international networks through services, cultural programmes and internationalisation strategies. Design culture emerges as a defining element, alongside sustainability, innovation and the education of younger generations.

Milan Design Week
1,326 events · 530 field observations 

Milano Design Week functions as a citywide urban laboratory, where a plurality of actors experiment each year with new forms of relationships between the city and design.

To examine the phenomenon, the School of Design at Politecnico di Milano analysed the events of Milano Design Week through surveys, field observations and and urban mapping. The findings reveal a complex and far-reaching geography, in which institutions, cultural actors and professionals contribute to the creation of a temporary ecosystem shaped by a plurality of independent governances, not always connected or aligned in their objectives.

Download the Report (PDF, 260 pages, 95 charts)
Watch the presentation event

Economic impact
€275 million in economic impact · +13.7% compared to 2023

The data reveal an impact that went beyond immediate economic return: design acts as a multiplier of attractiveness, reputation and value for the entire territory.

The Annual Report highlights the ability of the Salone del Mobile.Milano and Milan Design Week to generate economic value for the city and the wider regional system. The impact extended across hospitality, retail, food services, mobility and professional supply chains, with a particularly strong contribution from international audiences. Growth in attendance and average per-capita spending further confirmed Milan as a global destination for contemporary design.

Mobility and urban flows
1.26 million daily metro entries · +10.6% vs 2023

The analysis of mobility flows portrays a city intensely impacted by the Salone: more connected, more dynamic, but also increasingly called upon to rethink accessibility, services and public space management.

For the first time, the Report analyses the impact of Design Week on urban flows and mobility behaviour. The Brera, Tortona and Duomo districts recorded significant peaks in attendance during the days of the event, while the public transport system reached its highest annual usage levels. The analysis highlights a city intensely traversed by international audiences, professionals and visitors, bringing to light new challenges and opportunities related to accessibility, sustainability and urban management.

The Milan Design System
2,275 design core companies · more than 16,000 students

The mapping reveals a deeply rooted and expanding system in which professions, businesses, education and culture collectively shape the enduring strength of Milanese design.

Twenty-five years after the first study on the Milan Design System, the research updates the mapping of design professions, businesses, and cultural and educational infrastructures across Milan. The city accounted for one out of every two design companies in Lombardy and one out of every seven in Italy, confirming its position as the country’s leading design hub. The system encompasses companies, professionals, publishing, distribution, research, education and cultural production: a complex ecosystem that sustains the city throughout the entire year.

A collective undertaking
10 working tables · 120 stakeholders · 37 data holders

The Milan Design (Eco) System was conceived as an open and participatory platform. The first edition of the Report was made possible through a shared commitment with the Municipality of Milan and the Lombardy Region, as well as through the collaboration of the relevant municipal and regional departments, numerous professional and trade associations, research centres and study offices that contributed a substantial — albeit fragmented – body of datasets, forming the essential foundation for any reliable interpretation of the phenomenon.

The appendix includes contributions from the content leaders of the 2024 Working Tables: Lidi Grimaldi, Chief Executive Officer, Interbrand; Davide Agazzi, Co-founder, FROM; Stefano Boeri, President, Triennale Milano; Maria Porro, President, Salone del Mobile.Milano; Francesco Zurlo, Full Professor, Department of Design – Politecnico di Milano; Claudio Feltrin, President, FederlegnoArredo; Alessia Cappello, Councillor for Economic Development and Labour Policies; Ezio Micelli, Professor, IUAV; Paolo Casati, Co-founder, Fuorisalone.it; and Gloria Zavatta, Sustainability Manager.

The book opens with an introduction by Charles Landry – essayist and urban sociologist, internationally recognised as one of the leading authorities on the role of creativity and imagination in urban regeneration — who also delivered the opening lecture during the presentation event at the Piccolo Teatro Grassi in Milan.

The 2024 Report marks the starting point of a shared journey: an open tool designed to transform evidence, critical issues and visions into future policies, alliances and actions.

Viwe the Report (PDF, 260 pages, 95 charts)
Watch the presentation of the 2024 Report

Milan Design (Eco) System
Research and event 
curated by Susanna Legrenzi, Curator of Salone del Mobile.Milano Observatory 

In collaboration with the Department of Design – Politecnico di Milano
Stefano Maffei, Full Professor
Francesco Zurlo, Full Professor
Massimo Bianchini, Associate Professor
Carla Sedini, Research Fellow
Francesco Leoni, Research Fellow

Graphic design by Linkiesta Studio.