PRESS RELEASE
HD Forum Italia evolves and becomes Media Innovation Forum Italia: a new identity for the innovation of the entire media supply chain
The new name reflects the evolution of the Association and expands its scope of representation, from content production to distribution, from technological innovation to discussion on regulatory issues.
Italy, October 2026 – HD Forum Italia becomes Media Innovation Forum Italia (MIF Italia) and starts a new phase in its history. The transformation, formalized through the approval and adoption of the new Bylaws by the Assembly Meeting on 17 September 2026, reflects the evolution of a sector in which production, distribution, technologies and platforms are increasingly interconnected.
The change represents a significant step in the path of the Association, which for twenty years has been promoting discussion and collaboration between the protagonists of the audiovisual industry. The new name expresses a broader and more transversal vision, consistent with the transformations of markets, production and distribution models and technologies that characterize the media ecosystem.
“The birth of Media Innovation Forum Italia represents an important step for an association that, in twenty years of activity, has been able to accompany the evolution of the audiovisual industry and encourage dialogue between its protagonists. Today the sector is called upon to face profound transformations, involving technologies, industrial models and regulatory scenarios. We want MIF Italia to be increasingly a space for open and authoritative discussion, capable of connecting companies, research and institutions, promoting a shared vision of the opportunities and challenges that await the entire media supply chain,” says Tonio Di Stefano, President of Media Innovation Forum Italia.
From distribution to production: a broader representation
The new Bylaws accompanies a transformation that goes beyond the name of the Association and expands its scope of participation and representation. Alongside the operators traditionally involved in the activities of the Forum, MIF Italia opens up more explicitly to operators in content production, companies active in the development of innovative technologies and services, institutions and research centers.
This expansion responds to the growing integration between the different segments of the audiovisual supply chain and the need to build increasingly transversal opportunities for discussion, capable of relating different experiences, skills and perspectives: from audiovisual and television production to distribution infrastructures and platforms, from digital media services to emerging technologies.
The aim is to strengthen the role of the Forum as a place for discussion between industry, research and institutions, through an integrated vision of the technological and industrial transformations affecting the sector.
“The transition from HD Forum Italia to Media Innovation Forum Italia is not just a change of name, but the evolution of a path that broadens the perspectives of the Association and strengthens its ability to represent a sector in continuous transformation. With the new Bylaws, we are opening up participation more explicitly to production operators, innovation companies, institutions and research centers, fostering new synergies along the entire media supply chain.
The Media Innovation Book (MIB) also fits into this perspective, which collects the legacy of the UHD Book Collection and broadens its horizon, with the ambition of becoming a reference tool for the dissemination of knowledge, technical-scientific in-depth analysis and the sharing of experiences on the issues that drive the evolution of the media industry,” says Benito Manlio Mari, Secretary General of Media Innovation Forum Italia.
Innovation, research and development of the sector
MIF Italia intends to consolidate its function as a technical-scientific observatory and collaboration platform, with the aim of promoting the sharing of knowledge, the analysis of market trends and the identification of the opportunities offered by new technologies.
Particular attention will be paid to innovation processes involving the production and distribution of content, artificial intelligence, digital infrastructures, interoperability, quality and reliability of media services.
In this path, the Forum intends to promote shared initiatives between companies, professionals, academia and research, with the aim of enhancing the contribution of different skills to the development of the sector.
Dialogue with the institutions and the evolution of the regulatory framework
The expansion of the associative perimeter offers MIF Italia new opportunities to participate in the discussion on the legislative and regulatory issues that accompany the evolution of the media industry.
MIF Italia aims to encourage dialogue between operators in the supply chain and relevant institutions, through the sharing of technical skills and market knowledge, to deepen the impact of technological and regulatory transformations and contribute to the definition of a favorable context for innovation and development of the sector.
The Forum thus intends to offer its contribution to the understanding of the new industrial and regulatory challenges, while respecting the roles and skills of the institutional subjects involved.
Continuity of experience, new perspectives
The transition from HD Forum Italia to Media Innovation Forum Italia is based on the continuity of the experience gained by the Association and on the desire to strengthen its contribution in a market in which technological innovation constantly changes languages, production processes and distribution models.
The new identity reflects the ambition to engage a wider community of businesses and organisations, foster collaboration across the media value chain, and strengthen links with European initiatives and stakeholders.
With this evolution, Media Innovation Forum Italia renews its commitment to be a point of reference for the comparison between the protagonists of the media industry, with the aim of enhancing the skills gained in twenty years of activity and contributing to the development of an increasingly innovative, collaborative and competitive sector.
PRESS OFFICE
Media Innovation Forum Italia (MIF Italia)
Email: info@hdforumitalia.it
Website: www.hdforumitalia.it/en/
For media enquiries, interview requests and press information:
Carlo Morizio
Press Office Contact: carlo.morizio@live.com
About MEDIA INNOVATION FORUM ITALIA
Media Innovation Forum Italia (MIF Italia), formerly HD Forum Italia, is a non-profit association that has been promoting innovation, dialogue and collaboration across the media and audiovisual ecosystem for twenty years.
Established in 2006, MIF Italia is now broadening its mission, building on its technical and scientific heritage and fostering collaboration across the media value chain, including content production and distribution, broadcasters, network operators, technology providers, media services and research institutions.
The Association’s initiatives include the Media Innovation Book (MIB), building on the legacy of the UHD Book Collection and dedicated to sharing knowledge, industry experience and contributions on media innovation.
