  
 illycaffè was founded in 1933 in Trieste, Italy, by Francesco Illy, and for three generations has led the industry in innovation, technology and knowledge.
In 1935, Francesco, an inventor and industry leader, created the first breakthrough automatic espresso machine that substituted compressed air for steam; he called it the "illetta". He went on to develop countless innovations including illy's proprietary pressurized packing system for preserving coffee, later improved upon and still in use.
After World War II, control of illycaffè was passed to Francesco's son, Ernesto Illy. Armed with a chemistry degree and his father's passion for coffee, Ernesto set to work on a research laboratory that would become the crucible for inventions and innovations, eventually leading up to the 17 patents that illy has held at any given time. These patents trademark various aspects of coffee processing and preparation methods, including the ESE (Easy Serve Espresso) system, a system so revolutionary, that illy later decided to open its patent to encourage home espresso consumption. To this day, illycaffè continues to share its scientific discoveries with other companies in order to improve the quality of coffee worldwide.
Now, the leadership of illycaffè has passed to CEO Andrea Illy, third generation of this entrepreneurial family that continues to devote its time and energy to improving coffee quality for both the industry and the consumer.
Thanks to illycaffè, Trieste is the most important city in the world for coffee research and testing, and the only city that houses the entire coffee production chain.
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