MILAN, Italy – Rhea, one of the world’s leading coffee machine manufacturers, has been honored at the 18th edition of the China Awards 2023, an annual event organized by the Italy China Foundation and Class Editori. The China Awards celebrate outstanding achievements by Italian and Chinese companies, associations, and personalities that have effectively leveraged opportunities for mutual exchange between the two nations, with particular attention to strategic and innovative collaborations that foster profitable internationalization.
The award, presented during the ceremony on Wednesday, 13 December 2023, was accepted by Rhea’s CEO, Andrea Pozzolini.
Rhea triumphs at the 18th edition of the China Awards 2023
“We are very proud of this award, which recognizes our groundbreaking collaboration with China. Since the opening of our Shanghai branch in 2020, we have participated in numerous initiatives and institutional events, tailoring the ‘Made in Italy’ coffee experience to the preferences and customs of the Chinese consumer. We have forged important partnerships in the technological and social fields, combining Italian design and our 60 years of experience in the coffee sector with China’s innovative potential in order to explore new ways of experiencing hospitality”, Pozzolini commented.
In recent years, Rhea has introduced the ‘Design for All’ concept to China, which aims to show how machine design and technology can create tools accessible to all users, breaking down barriers both cultural and physical.
Indeed, Rhea has been keeping up its longstanding commitment to social sustainability by collaborating with David Wang of Bear Paw Café on a project to develop an interface for a machine that enables visually impaired individuals to select and prepare a coffee and is now developing advanced voice control technology that allows those with limited manual abilities to operate the machine.
The project is intended to empower visually impaired and blind individuals to run a business using automatic coffee machines, offering an exemplary opportunity for many to achieve independence.
At the China International Import Expo last November, Rhea presented Barista On-Demand, the first mobile coffee station developed along with Neolix.
This pioneering concept integrates automatic coffee machines into a self-driving vehicle, providing a 24/7 ‘barista’ ready to serve quality coffee on demand.
With a simple click on the mobile app, consumers can order a coffee and receive it wherever they want, be it at home, the park, or the office. “An innovation project that not only showcases the excellence of ‘Made in Italy’ to the world, but also paves the way for extraordinary new developments in the field of vending applied to autonomous driving”, Andrea Pozzolini concludes.
About Rhea Group
Rhea, founded by Aldo Doglioni Majer in 1960, is one of the largest producers of customized vending machines in the world. For over sixty years, Rhea has stood out for its wide international reach, high-level design, state-of-the-art technology, and ‘Made in Italy’ excellence.
With headquarters and manufacturing based in the province of Varese and foreign branches in 9 countries, Rhea is proud of having spread coffee culture to 100 countries around the world.
From a global player in vending to a pioneer in the introduction of vending to the new retail, hospitality and out-of-home sectors, Rhea confirms its mission to interpret and often anticipate a constantly evolving market.
Rhea’s new proposals revolutionize the very concept of hospitality, both in business and domestic contexts, with a value proposition that improves the coffee break moment.
