A large fleet of 17 Potain cranes is emerging on the Milan skyline to build the new Innovation (MIND) district

Located on the northwestern outskirts of Milan, the MIND project covers nearly one million square meters, roughly the size of 120 football fields. The €4,5 billion project aims to build "the city of the future," a completely decarbonized district designed for connectivity, inclusion, culture, and well-being.

Two Italian construction companies, with close ties to Potain, are managing the project: Renco Group and CMB (Cooperativa Muratori e Braccianti di Carpi). Together, they are using 17 Potain MDT topless cranes throughout the development. The topless design, high lifting capacity, and ease of transport of Potain cranes make them ideal for dense, multi-contractor environments like the MIND project.

MIND consists of several separate construction projects, and the two contractors handle the lifting work at various sites.

CMB is managing several construction projects, including MoLo – a mobility and logistics center with 1.800 parking spaces – and the Horizon and Zenith mixed-use towers. Standing 9 and 13 stories tall, respectively, the towers combine concrete and wood construction to reduce environmental impact and carbon emissions. Zenith will become the tallest wooden building in Italy.

Simone Motta, project manager at CMB, said the company was relying entirely on five Potain MDT topless cranes for its operations at MIND: three MDT 319s at Horizon and one MDT 319 and one MDT 389 for the Zenith tower.

“From an execution standpoint, these buildings are designed using prefabrication to accelerate construction and reduce on-site labor while minimizing risks,” explained Mr. Motta. “We opted to use only MDT Potain cranes after a careful analysis of logistics, operating ranges, and potential interferences. This planning allowed us to achieve optimal coverage of the entire construction area. The cranes were essential for assembling the floor slabs and facade panels throughout the process.”

Nearby, Renco Group is managing the construction of a new campus for the University of Milan, scheduled for completion in 2027. It includes 18.000 m² of classrooms, 35.000 m² of laboratories and leisure and green living spaces, including a botanical garden and sports areas.

The company uses 11 MDT 219 cranes in various configurations, supported by an MDT 389 crane erected at 75 m for the heaviest lifts. The MDT cranes' command and control system (CCS) and compact transport dimensions have proven invaluable on these dense urban construction sites.

Andrea Salaroli, project manager at Renco, explained how the company is using the 12 cranes for its part of the MIND project.

“Given the scale and complexity of the site, we developed a lifting plan with Potain that includes twelve cranes,” said Mr. Salaroli. “This configuration provides complete coverage of the entire site and allows us to organize the work into two shifts, which accelerates progress.”

Once completed, Milan's new innovation district will include Europe's longest park (460.000 m²), boasting 3.000 new trees, 4 km of cycle paths, and a fully electric internal transport network. For CMB and Renco, Potain cranes are helping to bring this sustainable vision to life.

“Potain cranes have always provided the reliability and precision we need on complex urban projects,” said Mr. Salaroli. “On the MIND construction site, this reliability helps us achieve ambitious goals and build the next generation of Milan.”