A large innovation park right outside Milan, in the former Expo 2015 area. Technological, green, open to all, it is called Mind (Milan Innovation District). It will host offices, research centers, cultural spaces, but also gardens, gardens, stores. On April 30 and May 1, with two days of celebration, the Mind Village was inaugurated, the first district already active in the city of the future. Here several companies have chosen to have their headquarters and their teams: AstraZeneca, Esselunga, Bio4Dreams, Rold, Illumina.

The first edition of Mind Fest includes many events, with music, art, science, sport. It is organized by Lendlease, an international real estate and infrastructure group, which was awarded the Mind regeneration project, with the support of PlusValue.

The city of the future

"Few have grasped the scope of the project. Many see it as real estate development. But it doesn't mean extra concrete and bricks. It means regenerating an area. The important aspect is the partnership between public (with Arexpo) and private to develop an ecosystem that goes towards development and sustainability, the foundations of the future," said Filippo Addarii, founder and CEO of PlusValue.

Lendlease is responsible for the private development of the district, with a 99-year concession and an investment of over 2.5 billion euros.

Expo 2015 buildings are being repurposed with a circular economy in mind. The goal is to create an ecosystem for growth. A place that connects businesses, startups and universities in the area with the best talent in the world, encouraging technology transfer between research and business and involving the community in a sustainable urban context.

The entire district covers 1 million square feet. It includes the Human Technopole, a center for biomedical research, the Galeazzi Hospital, the campus of the University of Milan, the Mind Village and the West Gate, an area with offices, residences, retail and services. Inside, people will move only by bike or electric vehicles.

The Mind Fest is a real festival. With street artists, musicians, scientists, experts, athletes. Visitors will be able to take part in numerous workshops, fence with the champions of the national under-20 team, listen to live music or go up in a hot air balloon to look down on the new innovation district.