H-FARM

H-FARM Campus, the largest and most important innovation hub in Europe, has relied on the consultancy of VEM Sistemi to adopt new state-of-the-art digital infrastructures and technologies provided by Cisco for the training of young talents.

The needs of H-FARM and VEM’s solutions
The partnership between H-FARM, CISCO, and VEM has deep roots, founded on the same goal: making the relationship between people and technology—and between people themselves through technology—simple and productive.
To achieve this goal within the H-FARM Campus, where Wi-Fi accounts for 90% of all access, it was first necessary to create a future-proof network—simple, scalable, secure—an architecture based on roles, with access policies that consistently follow user identity from every access point.

To meet this need, VEM Sistemi chose Cisco Digital Network Architecture (DNA), which allows the creation of a user-centric network to manage security and segmentation effectively. DNA is especially effective in large campuses like H-FARM, thanks to its easy scalability. Everything is managed by the central controller, DNA Center, which provides total visibility over users, devices, applications, and processes.
The new Intuitive Network has the ability to define and enforce policies from access to cloud across all network elements—user, device, and application—greatly simplifying operations. It’s an architecture based on roles rather than IP addresses; access policies follow user identity consistently across the network, with distinct policies for each role.

Furthermore, to meet the need for barrier-free communication and collaboration among all individuals in the H-FARM ecosystem, VEM Sistemi made Cisco Webex available—a powerful suite of business collaboration tools including chat, meetings (audio, video, and web), whiteboarding, and cloud calling—to all campus “inhabitants,” from staff to teachers and students, who now have a secure workspace available at all times, wherever they are, and on any device.

Some classrooms, where capacity was more than halved due to the health emergency, have been equipped with Cisco cameras featuring Presenter Track technology, which dynamically frame the teacher both at the desk and while moving in front of a whiteboard. This allows lessons to be enjoyed optimally both remotely and in other rooms within the campus.

Cisco Webex Boards are also flexible tools well-suited for both meeting rooms and educational environments. They enable wireless content sharing, provide a digital touch whiteboard, and deliver an intuitive, high-quality audio and video conferencing experience.

H-FARM offices are equipped with Cisco telepresence rooms: directional audio, ultra-high-definition video, and network collaboration tools to allow people to share the table with others located on the other side of the world.
Additionally, several Cisco Webex Room Kits have been implemented: smart collaboration tools that include camera, codec, speakers, and microphones. Integrated with one or more displays, they bring intelligence and videoconferencing capabilities to every small or medium-sized room.

“Discovering and nurturing talent is the foundation of the digital transformation of our companies and our country. It’s a mission that must become national and needs the generations who are currently in training,” says Riccardo Donadon, Founder of H-FARM, who continues: “H-FARM is a concrete model of what is possible, where young people and businesses meet and influence each other in a safe and creative environment. That’s how new business ideas are born, taking the best from both worlds. In this context, digital is everything. It must work perfectly, and yet be invisible to enable real collaboration.”

“We are undergoing a phase of accelerated transformation in society, culture, and businesses, driven by the massive adoption of artificial intelligence along with a new technological ecosystem. This transformation must be understood and guided, as it touches every aspect of our culture and society. It’s crucial to educate for the new to create productivity and have the right technology to enable innovation—two factors perfectly embodied by the H-FARM reality, where young talents have the opportunity to grow in a cutting-edge environment,” comments Stefano Bossi, CEO of VEM Sistemi.

“We share with H-FARM and VEM the desire to offer opportunities to talented young people, training them for new professions and providing them with the skills necessary to build their future, create innovation, and reach new milestones—actively contributing to the growth and development of our country. Digital is the foundation on which we must build our future,” concludes Agostino Santoni, CEO of Cisco Italy.

Digitalization is an opportunity for inclusion, cross-pollination, and the multiplication of possibilities—it enables innovation.
The future of our country belongs to the young people currently in their education journey. In a technological, creative, and safe environment, they can cultivate their talents and learn to build something new for an inclusive future.