Every trip broadens the horizon, opens up new perspectives, inspires innovative ideas and awakens the muses of new projects. Once again I was drawn to Venice, a city that stands for maritime culture, the skill of navigation and a cosmopolitan outlook. These qualities also shaped Amerigo Vespucci. He embodies the spirit of discovery, driven by curiosity and the courage to think and sail beyond familiar boundaries. Venice still stands for these values today, with the knowledge that progress is made where people embrace the unknown and imagine new worlds before they become visible to others. One of these worlds could be the ” MARE” – a holistic technology park that metamorphoses the brownfield of a clinic in the spirit of Bona Dea, goddess of healing.

The masonry witnesses of days gone by are enthroned on Venice’s wooden piles. They tell of trading dynasties, masters of art and crafts, haggling for power and influence. At the Lido di Venezia, on the other hand, a spit separates the waves from the lagoon and became the site of a seaside resort, luxury hotels and film festivals in the last century. The abandoned ruins of the Ospedale al Mare – a clinic complete with theater and church – are located here. A brownfield in the brackish waters of history. Now it is set to experience a renaissance as a holistic technology park. The holistic concept is to combine healing and research, artificial intelligence and technology, living and working on one campus. The iconic Marinoni Theater and the church of Santa Maria Nascente are to be reopened to the public.

A project that reminds me of ATMOS Selfness Resort and is similar in its concept. MARE is intended as an engine for innovation, prosperity and better health, far beyond the borders of Venice. The project stands for the conviction that we need to rethink health holistically, based on data and with artificial intelligence as a central enabler. We are at a global turning point where science, data science and digital technologies are paving the way for a new renaissance. MARE makes this development visible.

MARE – The eHealth Technopark in Venice

On an area of 48,000 square meters near Nicelli Airport, digital innovation is being used in a targeted manner to sustainably improve medical care. The aim is to combine the growing demand for healthcare services with an efficient and sustainable offering. Digital transformation is the prerequisite for competitiveness and is available as concrete support for healthcare professionals in their day-to-day work. The eHealth-TechnoPark MARE is designed for research, development and application of AI in digital medicine. It enables a cooperative environment in which international talents from the fields of medicine and artificial intelligence, start-ups, companies and universities work together to drive innovation and create new economic prospects.

The reactivation of the area around the Ospedale al Mare is central. The site’s loyalty to sustainability and historical connection with healthcare remains intact and is being taken into the future with a clear commitment to the region and the Lido. In addition to modern work and research spaces, new living spaces are being created and publicly forgotten areas are being reopened to the local community. The revitalization of this strategically important part of the island strengthens the regional economy, attracts new investment, arouses the interest of international companies and new residents and sustainably increases the attractiveness of Venice as a location for innovation.

Such places are economic drivers, they combine innovation with responsibility, serve the common good and set impulses that have an impact beyond their own location. When we expand the world with new ideas, role models emerge that simultaneously enable economic progress and create added value for society. The MARE eHealth-TechnoPark is a silent dedication to the Roman goddess of healing, Bona Dea. It is a place where healing, innovation and digital medicine merge into a new vision.

Photos: Ospedale al Mare di Venezia