Meet one of the Italian partners of Grapes of Change, Confindustria Toscana Servizi (CTS). It is the service company of the Confindustria System in Tuscany. Since 2008, CTS has also been an active member of the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN), where it acts as a key service provider for SMEs. Within the Network, CTS offers specialised support in areas such as internationalisation strategies, access to European markets, technology transfer, innovation management, EU-funded opportunities, and partner search for business, research, and technological collaboration. Through these services, CTS helps Tuscan companies strengthen their competitiveness and connect with European and global value chains.
In recent years, CTS has expanded its scope by engaging in European cooperation projects focused on social innovation, women’s empowerment, and gender equality, further reinforcing its mission to support enterprises in addressing both economic and societal challenges.
CTS expertise: connection with enterprises and their evolving needs
As part of the Confindustria System in Tuscany, CTS brings to the partnership a strong connection with enterprises and their evolving needs.
Through its work, CTS aims to promote a corporate culture based on respect, equal opportunities, and shared responsibility, recognising that gender equality is not only a social value but also a driver of innovation, competitiveness, and sustainable growth.
By joining Grapes of Change, CTS and the Confindustria System contribute to spreading this culture within the wine industry, helping companies translate principles of inclusion and workplace safety into concrete managerial practices and organisational models that create value for both people and businesses.
A first exploration of gender equality and women’s empowerment with the Empowering project
CTS took part as a partner in the Empowering project, a European initiative funded under the Erasmus+ programme and developed together with two current partners of Grapes of Change, IPRA MEDEF and Fundacia Digital Creators (FDC).
The project aimed to support millennial women in their personal and professional growth, helping them acquire the skills and confidence to take on leadership roles within their organisations.
Activities included both individual and group coaching sessions, as well as interviews with female role models who shared their stories, video podcast on personal development topics to inspire other women.
Through this experience, CTS explored the topic of gender equality and women’s empowerment for the first time in a fully dedicated project. It also demonstrated how increasingly relevant these issues are for companies, as the presence of women in the workforce continues to grow.
Several women interviewed for the project contributed to introducing work–life balance measures, equal pay policies, and gender equality initiatives within their organisations — showing how empowerment can translate into tangible workplace change.
Grapes of Change, an opportunity to combine excellence and respect, business competitiveness and social innovation
The idea of Grapes of Change was born within CTS from the awareness that the wine industry — a sector of major economic relevance for Tuscany and for Italy — is currently facing structural challenges linked to labour shortages, skills gaps, reputation, and market competition.
We recognised that improving workplace quality, inclusion and organisational culture is not only a social priority but also a strategic industrial lever: companies that invest in transparent, safe and inclusive work environments tend to experience higher productivity, stronger brand reputation, and greater ability to attract and retain qualified personnel.
For this reason, CTS promoted the creation of the partnership and involved SFC to ensure national coordination and broader representation of the Italian wine sector.
The wine industry remains largely male-dominated, despite the growing presence of women in oenology, wine tourism and technical education. Addressing this mismatch means unlocking untapped talent, strengthening internal processes, and responding to the expectations of international markets increasingly attentive to responsibility and sustainability.
Drawing on the experience of the Empowering project, CTS saw Grapes of Change as the opportunity to combine excellence and respect, business competitiveness and social innovation — helping the wine sector evolve into a model of modern, responsible and future-oriented industry.
For a transformation that improves not only workplace culture but also the industrial performance of wine companies.
We aim to see a transformation that improves not only workplace culture but also the industrial performance of wine companies.
Reducing discrimination, harassment and unsafe behaviours is essential to creating environments where people can work effectively, stay longer, develop skills and contribute to the continuity and productivity of the enterprise.
In the wine sector — which increasingly struggles to find and retain qualified personnel — building respectful, transparent and inclusive workplaces is a strategic investment, not a mere ethical choice. It means reducing turnover, attracting technical talent, strengthening company reputation abroad, and responding to the expectations of consumers and international buyers who more than ever value responsibility and workplace quality.
Our vision is a wine industry where equality, dignity and safety become shared priorities across vineyards and wineries — enabling organisations to combine excellence in production with excellence in workplace culture, and to compete more strongly in global markets.