During the last decade we have witnessed an immense amount of research and vast development in innovation in material and processes, in response to the emerging demands in industrial, scientific and cultural contexts, for various fields of application.

The ceramics sector has been in the forefront of these developments: research has involved the study of raw materials, the development and optimisation of innovative processes for the synthesis of powders and the sintering of materials, and the evolution of know-how in the production of materials and components (innovation in the technologies and methods for the mechanical processing of materials), with simple or relatively complex forms, for specific applications in the high-tech ceramics sector (production processes, structural ceramics, bioceramics and electroceramics), for traditional ceramic products (raw materials and product and process innovation) and for the heritage and cultural sectors (ceramics and mortars, mosaics and stones, multimedia technologies).

This has led to the development and introduction, mainly in the scientific field, of new materials - biomaterials, meaning materials which interface with biological systems to assess, treat, augment or replace any of the body’s tissues, organs or functions – which are a revolutionary step forward in the “reinterpretation of nature” for medical and therapeutic purposes.

Orthopaedics, neurosurgery and ear, nose and throat medicine are just some of the areas of medicine which have been using biocompatible materials for some years now to replace damaged or seriously injured bones, as Nicola Babbini, Director of the ISTEC (Italian Institute of Science and Technology for Ceramics) CNR (Italian Research Council) in Faenza, explains: “Bioceramics guarantee absolute biocompatibility, since they provide a support for the regeneration of bone tissue and have the same structural physical and chemical properties; thanks to nanotechnology, we will soon be seeing bone replacement procedures which use the same biological mechanisms as nature itself.”

Bioceramics are a real innovation in this field, although the characteristics they provide are exactly the same as those which make them so popular for more traditional uses: a high modulus of elasticity, greater hardness, excellent resistance to corrosion, and – meeting extremely high hygiene standards – very low chemical reactivity within the body.

All these characteristics can be admired, in a different context, in the technical ceramic slabs produced by FMG Fabbrica Marmi e Graniti: HARDNESS, DURABILITY and HYGIENE.

FMG Fabbrica Marmi e Graniti’s products, which guarantee every form of safety, quality and functionality, provide features once thought unachievable: modern production methods, combined with constant research, are able – if applied with intelligence and skill – to create materials that fulfil the same functions as their natural equivalents, but without plundering the environment of its resources.

FMG products are not in conflict with nature: they reproduce its appearance and functional properties, and protect it from over-exploitation.

The factory-production of exquisite, technically outstanding materials like marble, granite or travertine is therefore not an affront to the environment, but rather a valuable contribution to meeting the needs of a constantly evolving society.

Healthy construction techniques and lifestyles and environmental compatibility are aspects which FMG Fabbrica Marmi e Graniti has prioritised in the production of its natural wall and floor coverings since its earliest days, focusing its commitment on sustainability in relation to human health: for his survival first and foremost, and then to ensure his quality of life, man has to protect nature – after all, by so doing he is protecting himself.

This commitment has received widespread recognition. In particular, in 2004 all FMG brand marbles, granites, stones, slates and travertines received certification from the ANAB (Italian Association of Eco-friendly Architecture), a mark of international prestige, which guarantees, through the ICEA (Italian Ethical and Environmental Certification Institute) that products comply with the dictates of sustainable architecture.

This is a major success, which made FMG Fabbrica Marmi e Graniti the first producer of natural floor and wall coverings to receive certification of such vital importance for the future of biobuilding.

To an ever-increasing extent, FMG means BUILDING WITH NATURE, because it actually “creates” nature and is an integral part of nature itself. Starting from mankind, to protect its very existence.