Limonta Informatica with Datatex at the service of italian textile companies
Interview with Matteo Viganò (CEO of Limonta Informatica)
Limonta Informatica, a historic software house based in Garbagnate Monastero (Lecco, Italy), has been a key IT reference for Italian textile SMEs since 1988.
In December 2024, Limonta Informatica joined TSG – Textile Solutions Group, the large European holding company specializing in vertical IT solutions for the textile industry. TSG was established in 2023 through an initiative by the German investment fund Elvaston, with Datatex and Setex as the leading companies.
In Italy, two historic companies like Datatex and Limonta Informatica are now part of the same family as Italian companies within the European market leader group.
The international experience of Datatex and the strong Italian roots of Limonta Informatica come together to offer Italian textile companies the most innovative solutions for managing the entire business digital ecosystem.
We discuss this with Matteo Viganò, Commercial Director and CEO of Limonta Informatica.
Let’s take a step back. How did Limonta Informatica come about? What are the company’s strengths, and what have been the most significant moments in forty years of history?
Limonta Informatica was founded in 1988 by the entrepreneurial vision of Cav. Gianni Limonta and Angelo Viganò, with the aim of structuring and strengthening the IT services already provided to Limonta Spa, expanding them to other companies in the textile sector.
In the following years, the company progressively expanded its competencies, building a wealth of cross-cutting experience along the entire textile and clothing supply chain.
A turning point came at the end of the 1990s, when the experience gained by our team within a major banking group—where we centralized the information systems of national branches—led us to radically rethink our technical and commercial model.
We realized that these skills could also be applied to our original sector. Thus, we moved from a traditional model, based on installing custom software solutions at each client, to a completely new approach: a centralized infrastructure capable of providing a unique, highly configurable software service that could flexibly adapt to each company’s processes.
This paradigm shift allowed our product to evolve harmoniously, as every development made for a client became an opportunity for growth for the entire user community. In practice, we had already started working in the cloud, although at the time we didn’t yet know that it would one day be called that.
From that moment on, in addition to the philosophy of integration, another key concept became part of our DNA: standardization. It became a pillar of our corporate culture and profoundly shaped the way our people approach every new project. This approach has inevitably influenced, and continues to influence, the way we conceive innovation—not as something to reinvent each time, but as a structured, scalable, and shared path.
Today, over thirty years later, we continue to pursue that vision with the same passion. The adoption of increasingly advanced technologies, a consultative approach alongside the client, and deep knowledge of production processes allow us to offer concrete and innovative solutions that meet the needs of modern businesses. We look to the future with curiosity and determination, convinced that digital transformation is a journey to be undertaken together, day by day.
Why did you decide to become part of TSG – Textile Solutions Group? What were the considerations behind this important decision?
The decision to join an international group came from a deep reflection on the context in which we operate. We are an SME with great internal energy, a team of 30 people working with passion and expertise. But today, more than ever, the technological world imposes rapid changes. Innovations not only come continuously, but they also require immediate adaptation, a broad vision, and constantly updated tools.
In this scenario, comparison becomes a key element: confronting other realities, different markets, and new approaches allows us to grow both as a company and as people. Joining an international group means just that for us: opening up to new perspectives, accelerating our development, and strengthening our position in a global context, while still preserving the identity and agility that define us.
Another crucial aspect is related to our products. Operating in the textile supply chain, we believe that sharing experiences, expertise, and software solutions within the group can help us offer even more complete, integrated, and tailored answers for the sector. Interoperability between systems, the complementarity of solutions, and a shared innovation-oriented vision are strategic tools for creating a truly effective offering for the entire supply chain.
What makes this decision even more solid is the fact that the companies in the group share a deep knowledge of the textile and clothing industry. It’s not just about technical know-how, but about a real industrial culture in common, which allows us to speak the same language, immediately understand its dynamics and developments. It is on this foundation that we can build integrated solutions capable of responding in a concrete and innovative way to the supply chain’s needs.
This strategic choice represents an investment in our growth. We are convinced that being part of a larger network, with a shared vision focused on the future, will allow us to further strengthen the values of innovation and stability that we have always transmitted to our Clients.
In Italy, what does this new synergy between Datatex and Limonta Informatica represent for the textile world? And what impact might it have on the market?
This synergy has a very strong strategic value for the Italian textile sector. It unites two entities with extensive experience in the sector: on one hand, Limonta Informatica, with over thirty years of presence in the Italian market and in-depth local market knowledge; on the other, Datatex, bringing a long history and solid international experience in the textile industry, combining global expertise with an innovative vision.
This balance between local roots and a global outlook is what can truly make a difference: it means having the ability to analyze sector changes with clarity, anticipate the needs of Italian businesses, and propose ever more innovative digital and technological solutions, ready for the challenges of the future.
The result is a concrete proposal for the Italian textile industry: stronger, more complete, more integrated. A proposal born from the union of expertise and visions, which can contribute significantly to the competitiveness and digital transformation of the entire supply chain.
We believe this synergy represents our contribution to tangibly and concretely improving the processes and organization of a sector that, for us, is a true vocation, and one we wish to see grow and innovate over time.
From a technical standpoint, how will Datatex and Limonta Informatica achieve full product convergence, with the ambitious goal of developing a management system that can become the industry standard for the Italian textile industry?
The goal is to combine expertise, experience, and technologies to evolve existing solutions in a common direction, with the vision of creating an offering that can become a reference point for the global textile industry.
From the outset, the strength of this initiative has been driven by the desire to share knowledge and challenge ourselves, with an approach that has led to intense and productive collaboration. We are already working to align our solutions on multiple fronts, aiming for an evolution that not only improves existing solutions but also anticipates the needs of an increasingly digital and globalized sector.
Our commitment is to ensure that every step of this process adds value to our Clients, creating concrete opportunities for improvement and innovation. The ultimate goal is to propose a range of solutions that, through the synergy between our expertise, will become a global standard in the textile and apparel industry, capable of supporting the entire production process in an integrated and cutting-edge way.
In light of your experience alongside entrepreneurs and industry managers, how do you see the current situation of the textile industry in Italy? What are the difficulties, and what do you think are the levers for returning to growth?
The textile sector in Italy is experiencing a period of great uncertainty, characterized by major challenges related to an evolving and increasingly competitive market. The entrepreneurs and managers I speak with highlight the growing difficulty in finding quick and effective solutions to cope with the pressure of the global market. However, I believe that within every difficulty lies an opportunity for companies capable of innovating and adapting.
In such a complex context, equipping oneself with the right technology and adequate digital support is not only fundamental but represents a true competitive lever.
Companies that know how to leverage data and adapt flexibly to process changes do not just react to difficulties; they manage to dominate them. Today, more than ever, the speed at which we need to respond to market and customer demands is a determining factor. Only with the right technological tools is it possible to support these response times, ensuring agility, efficiency, and decision-making capacity. This is where digital truly makes the difference.
Our goal is to continue supporting companies that, even in a complex context, want to grow and strengthen their market position.