As a boy to the classic question ‘what do you want to do when you grow up’ I could not give a definite answer, but my great passion all my life has been to conceive, develop and materially realize what I thought about. Just like an inventor.”
Then time, passion and a few episodes did the rest, leading 29-year-old Marco Zani to found Mark One, an innovative startup that designs and manufactures 3D printers for the industrial sector, in 2016 while studying automation engineering. During his first university internship, he was discussing with colleagues the grippers of a robot he had designed himself. “When asked about time and cost, the answer I got was more than a month and 400 euros,” he recalls. “It was shocking to me since it only took a day and a handful of euros to produce them.” With the goal of optimizing companies’ production processes and implementing additive manufacturing, Zani thus began to concretely conceive his first ideas in the world of 3D printing, which he then filed as patents eight years later.
The opportunity to make himself known came during Expo 2015 when he exhibited his first 3D printer. The real strength of this disruptive technology is the ability to adapt and be flexible to the customer’s needs: namely, to develop customized machines, taking care of the entire manufacturing process. To whom is it addressed? Mark One’s stakeholders are mainly the research and development departments of companies. To date, Mark One has major partnerships under its belt, the latest of which, announced just this year, with the five-time world champion Kawasaki Superbike team, “which chose us to change and improve the traditional R&D and supply chain process also supported by Kawasaki Japan.” But collaborations have spanned several business sectors: with theRizzoli Orthopaedic Institute performed the world’s first 3D-printed ankle transplant; with multinational electrical engineering company ABB Italia developed industrial solutions; with the Polytechnic University of Milan created the first 3D printed rocket that reached 540 km/h; together with theItalian Space Agency supported companies in introducing 3D technology. Among his latest projects is the world’s first 3D printer dedicated to podiatrists, aiming to revolutionize and digitize the manufacture of insoles. But perhaps the most ambitious project, he stresses, “is to develop the new machine that I have been imagining for so many years, to make higher-performance mechanical components.”
In the last year Mark One was also selected among the best 100 Italian startups, an achievement that allowed Zani to spend three months in Chicago and as the best startup in southern Europe in the smart manufacturing section. In this way he began to establish a relationship with the United States that he would like to make stable so as to consolidate it as a brand globally. “The first few years, being young, it was really complex to make your way in the Italian industrial world. Instead, since the experience abroad, this difficulty has turned into an advantage.” In short, Zani does not lack determination: “One of the things I like most about doing business is that there is something to learn every day.” Just the kind of quality that is needed to cope with a complicated period such as the one we are experiencing, “These will be special years. Covid-19 showed the criticalities of the traditional system, but on the other hand it also highlighted the possible advantages for those who can really take advantage of this technology. I think 3D printing will change the world, and I’m working every day to make that happen.”
In fact, the company’s core business is entirely focused on the research and development of technical solutions, innovative materials, and the implementation of 3D printers in the workplace. He already collaborates with large companies including Kawasaki, Yamaha, ABB, the Italian Space Agency (ASI) and prestigious universities.
The markets in which Mark One operates are Packaging, Automotive & Motorsport, Industrial Automation, Mechanical, Aerospace and Medical. Each of these sectors has complex needs of a technical-industrial nature, and this is where Mark One steps in, guaranteeing high quality standards, i.e., devices customized to the customer’s needs, with a production cycle that operates effectively 24/7, and constant support that allows for every limitation to be broken down. For companies that want to streamline the supply chain and industrial process, Mark One guarantees the technical department and provides assistance at every stage of the process: from design to final product realization. The key word is “customization,” and it is the main reason why companies rely on Mark One and Marco Zani for a true supply chain manufacturing revolution.
