The name of the initiative from Trentino in northern Italy derives from the storm named “Vaia” that in October 2018 destroyed hundreds of trees in the Italian region
Thanks to the skill of a carpenter from Trentino Alto Adige, the initiative of hope and rebirth was created and named after the storm Vaia, which in October 2018 wiped out about 43,000 hectares of forest trees. The felled fir and larch timber wood are currently being used for the creation of loudspeakers which can be used to listen to music from your favorite smartphone.
According to estimates, about 3.0 million cubic feet (8.5 million cubic meters) of timber wood was felled in the northern Italian region of Trentino in October 2018 during an incredibly severe windstorm.
After the powerful storm, Federico Stefani, the founder of Vaia, immediately thought about how to roll up his sleeves and use the timber wood that had been the victim of that incredible storm by creating an object that would allow him to combine the craftsmanship of the local carpenters and the new trends in listening to music currently used by youngsters and not only.
Thanks to the help of his young colleagues Paolo and Giuseppe, Federico has been able to bring to light the first “Vaia” loudspeaker, which takes the same name as the furious storm that seems to have tried to completely wipe out the precious fir and larch tree forest.
The Vaia wooden loudspeaker system is just the first product of the startup initiated by Federico Stefani, which aims to continue to utilize the incomparable craftsmanship of this northern Italian region also on the occasion of the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics 2026 so that the extraordinary patrimony of firs, pines, and larches trees can be preserved.