Since 1946, Italian firm Carpigiani makes renowned machines for the Italian-style fresh ice cream (gelato). Carpigiani is part of the Italy-based Ali Group, one of the world's largest manufacturers and suppliers of equipment for the foodservice industry. Today Carpigiani Group – three plants in Italy, one in Spain and one in China, commercial branches in France, Germany, United Kingdom, Russia, USA, Japan, China, India, Argentina and Brazil (for the Markets of Central and South America) - is the global leader in the production of equipment for fresh ice cream and pastry. Moreover, the company is the leading multibrand manufacturer of equipment for soft serve, frozen yogurt, shakes, slush, whipped cream and hot chocolate. The traditional art of Italian gelato makers and pastry chefs is handed down to new generations thanks to the activities of Carpigiani Gelato University, the world’s first School dedicated to the “art and business” of ice cream. Through its Gelato University, Carpigiani Group offers beginner and advanced courses at its headquarters in Anzola Emilia near Bologna and in most of its branches around the world. Open to visitors since September 2012, the Carpigiani Gelato Museum is a center of cultural excellence dedicated to the understanding and study of the history, culture, and technology of gelato and the expertise of the innovators who drove its evolution over the centuries.