Iris Ceramica Group pioneers net zero initiatives to transform an energy-intensive sector, producing beautiful ceramic surfaces in harmony with nature
“For us, ceramics means culture, knowledge, high quality and sustainable innovation,” says Federica Minozzi, CEO of Iris Ceramica Group. For more than 60 years, the northern Italian company has been creating prestigious spaces with ceramic slabs that are both durable and represent one of the most beautiful materials forged from nature.
“As a company we are like a tree, with roots in Italian manufacturing excellence and with leaves reaching to the sky, towards research for the future,” says Federica. “We consider ourselves a ‘Ceramic Artistic Workshop’ where tradition and innovation can coexist in harmony.”
Using technological innovation, Iris Ceramica Group turns raw ideas and artistic vision into high-end bespoke residential, commercial and industrial-architecture projects. “Our goal is to re-engineer ceramics to improve the interaction between humans and the environment,” she adds.
The company was founded in 1961 by Federica’s father, Romano Minozzi, and is headquartered near Modena. There are more than 50 collections, each fusing aesthetics with craft traditions and pioneering techniques. The functional, high-performing materials have extraordinary technical properties, while ESG (environmental, social and governance) principles have underpinned production from the earliest days, when the founder formulated his guiding equation, “Economy = Ecology”.
Iris Ceramica Group invests in low-carbon technologies, paving the way for a new era of ceramics. In 2023, in partnership with Edison Next, the decarbonisation experts, it announced the world’s first ceramics factory to be powered by green hydrogen, from 2025. The H2 Factory will produce large slabs in 4D Ceramics – the fourth dimension refers to sustainability. These full-body ceramic surfaces in 12mm and 20mm thicknesses are ideal for the luxury furnishing sector. “The principle underlying our green hydrogen factory is what I call a new industrial humanism,” says Federica. “It focuses on all environmental, social and economic factors. Our challenge is to lead the sector, demonstrating that even a high energy-consuming industry can become a model of net zero energy transition.”
For Federica, her father’s guiding thread still binds economy to ecology. “We believe in a new industrial culture, which sees the ecological transition as an opportunity for change, leading to a better present and a better future.”
www.irisceramicagroup.com