Made in MiC: Italian design at the heart of museum merchandising and

Made in MiC: design serving cultural heritage

The Ministry of Culture has launched the national Made in MiC initiative to apply Italian know-how to cultural heritage. The programme promotes the creation and distribution of a new generation of museum merchandise and fosters collaborations between institutions, designers, universities, artisans and companies to make exhibition spaces more welcoming and consistent with their collections.

An advance presentation of the first results is scheduled to begin on 21 April 2026 in Milan during the Salone del Mobile, where the Ministry will host a pavilion dedicated to the project.

Project highlights

• Contemporary merchandise: Made in Italy products developed with museums and industry to enhance everyday material culture.
• Historical and experimental sections: one area focuses on archetypes and traditions (applied arts and objects from 1900 to 1945), while another presents pilot projects from Made in MiC.
• Design furnishings integrated into collections: partnerships with furniture makers to position design pieces as cultural elements rather than merely functional items.

At the National Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art, a new layout has already begun to blend visual arts and design: furnishings are conceived as artworks in harmony with exhibits, enhancing the immaterial value of the collection and transforming the gallery into an active research and outreach hub.

Benefits for visitors and operators

• The initiative encourages dialogue between institutions, creatives and businesses, benefiting cultural production and local supply chains.
• Updated merchandise provides fresh perspectives on heritage and new engagement opportunities for audiences.
• Purpose-designed furnishings aim to make museum environments more familiar and aligned with the collection's history.

For those tracking museum developments, Made in MiC is a tangible example of how contemporary design can strengthen cultural identity and improve heritage enjoyment.