/ Interview with Fabio Martini, CEO at Technical Park /

Technical Park’s mission can be summed up in the three words of the title. This all-Italian company based in the Melara light industrial area, in the centre of the famous Ride’s District, is renowned and appreciated in Europe and all over the world for its attractions, with attention to the smallest details both aesthetically and technically, and especially to safety.

2020 marks an important milestone for Technical Park: 40 years of business, an anniversary that, however, out of respect for the painful situation that Italy and the world have been experiencing over the last few months due to the pandemic, the company has chosen not to celebrate, at least not for the moment.

An interview and a tour of the factory under the guidance of CEO Fabio Martini are thus the perfect opportunity to rediscover this business and discover more about what it is today.      

Anyone who has known you for some time has noticed a considerable aesthetic evolution of your attractions over recent years. What’s the reason for this?

“It all started about 6 years ago at a meeting with my brother (and partner) Christian and our staff. We began to evaluate the possibility of building specific rides for fixed amusement parks, instead of almost exclusively attractions for travelling showmen, as we had always done. We had the technical experience acquired over the years, plus the equipment and technology; all we needed was a catchy idea to appeal again to that specific market. And after a year of samples proposed by our designers, the solution came in 2016 with the Sidecar family ride with arms, themed with interactive cars reproducing vintage sidecars in detail, but in scale, and a central column designed to look like the chimney of a late 19th century factory, complete with smoke generator to make it more realistic.”

You built this for the German park Tripsdrill, right?

“Exactly, called Heisser Ofen. This ride opened the doors to an almost unexplored market for us, a milestone in our recent history. We made several versions of that model with other themes, all very well appreciated, and after that model we also developed other types of ride, again with a strong theme and always for permanent parks. We also supplied well-known groups such as Merlin Entertainments, Legoland, Compagnie Des Alpes, Century Fox and others.” 

How did this change in direction impact the company?

“The company was restructured with more specialised personnel, engineers and designers dedicated to theming. Today we employ 45 people, and we also work closely with a pool of about 20 outside companies specialised in manufacturing the various parts that make up our rides. Pre-assembly and testing are carried out here at our plant, as well as technical inspection by TÜV.”

Nonetheless, Technical Park also remains synonymous with Ferris wheels.

“Absolutely, another product that has always distinguished us. Today we have a complete range, in other words we can offer any type (transportable and fixed) and any size (even over 80m in diameter) of Ferris wheel, and in this case too we stand out not only from a technological point of view but also regarding the aesthetics.”

In what way?

“We dedicate a lot to research to creating unique gondolas. We want our Ferris wheels to enhance the locations where they operate, also in terms of landscaping and aesthetics. For example, right now in the factory we are completing white polyethylene gondolas which are shaped using an autoclave system. Inside we have included LED lights in various colours with many combinations, obviously managed remotely: when seen working at night the effect is unique.” 

I notice the workers are really busy. What exactly are you working on now?

“Five Ferris wheels: four 32m models for Italy, Spain, Mexico, Poland, and one 22m model for the Netherlands… 

Continue reading Games &Parks Industry June 2020, page 12