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      • Rome
        • 7 October 2015
         
         

        Supporting pension funds to stimulate economic growth in Italy

          Launching discussions at this national roundtable was the observation that the Italian pension system has undergone several attempts at reform over the past 25 years. From the Dini reforms to the more recent Fornero efforts, a succession of reform packages have accorded priority to balancing the public finances which underpin the first and most important pillar of the Italian pension system – namely, the state pension.

        • Rome
          • 27 September 2015
           
           

          Sustainability: merely necessary or a driver of growth?

            Discussions at this Conference for the Italian talent abroad group focused on the need for a development model where economic growth is not merely an end, but serves as a means to improving the quality of people’s lives. This was highlighted as the shared goal uniting Italy and the more than 150 countries which, during the recent United Nations Sustainable Development Summit, adopted a package of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to be pursued by 2030.

          • Milan
            • 21 September 2015
             
             

            Innovation as a catalyst for growth: what Milan can do

              Enterprises, innovation, and Milan were the three watchwords of discussions at this meeting focused on the pursuit by the Lombardy region of international competitiveness, particularly with respect to other European macro-regions of excellence, namely: Bavaria, Rhône-Alpes, Catalonia, and Baden-Württemberg.

            • Milan
              • 10 July 2015
               
               

              Aspen at Expo – Investing in innovation: women and technologies

                It is women who underestimate their abilities, don’t ask for anything and often put up with a less important job than they are capable of. And yet according to many statistical studies, they are more competent, better prepared, have higher university grades and are better managers. It is true to say that women are more versatile and flexible and they play a key role in integrating the various elements of society.

              • Milan
                • 9 July 2015
                 
                 

                Aspen at Expo – The case for TTIP: how, when, what?

                  Trade agreements, particularly those between Europe and the US (TTIP: The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership), provide a huge opportunity for development and growth and are therefore so much more than a potential risk. The European Commission’s agenda is very ambitious.

                • Milan
                  • 9 July 2015
                   
                   

                  Aspen at Expo – Agribusiness and trade: friends or foes?

                    Kicking off proceedings at this international workshop was the observation that agricultural market growth is once again the focus of world attention. Consumer prices for food products are rising, and sudden fluctuations in the cost of agricultural commodities are set to become more frequent in the short term. After a period of abundance, the world risks an era of food shortages, due to factors such as demographic shifts, climate change, growing global health problems, and an inadequate distribution of wealth.

                  • Pavia
                    • 9 July 2015
                     
                     

                    Aspen at Expo – Science and individual health

                      These days, the world of health is facing a revolution that does not only concern medicine but also includes a broad range of disciplines and many aspects of daily life.  Demographic tendencies, the evolution of research and the strategic use of “big data” are bringing about a sea change in the existing model of individual care.

                    • Milan
                      • 8 July 2015
                       
                       

                      Aspen at Expo – Women, science and sustainable development

                        The key to sustainable development is not only an effective partnership between government, civil society and the private sector, but also a scientific approach. Science and technology are fundamental in generating the knowledge necessary to sustainably resolve today’s most pressing problems. And they are especially important when seen from a global viewpoint, as today’s problems are global problems, as well as from a gender perspective.

                      • Milan
                        • 8 July 2015
                         
                         

                        Aspen at Expo – The role of nutrition in future health: the gender challenge

                          The intersection between women, nutrition and health is undeniable. Women are the food matrons of the world as in most cases they are the ones who purchase and prepare what families eat. They are also the world’s caregivers, meaning they are typically the ones who look after children, the elderly and the sick. Despite this women are also the most food insecure and make up the majority of the world’s patient population, though they have the least access to healthcare.

                        • Milan
                          • 8 July 2015
                           
                           

                          Aspen at Expo – A conversation on human mind and innovation

                            By way of setting the tone for this International Workshop, figures were cited showing that, in 2014, 350 million PCs and 320 million tablets were sold, and that, in the next five years, there will be some 200 billion web-connected devices. The latest devices – it was observed – are able to learn our needs and preferences, enabling increasingly personalized feedback, with artificial intelligence continuing to make great leaps forward. It was stressed, however, that it is not just machines that are learning from people – humans too have ended up being shaped by their devices.

                          • Milan
                            • 8 July 2015
                             
                             

                            Aspen at Expo – Clean cooking solutions for health and sustainability

                              Everyone likes to eat food cooked on the barbecue, but whilst in the western world, it is part and parcel of a convivial habit, often linked to a celebration of some sort, in Africa and Asia it is one of the main causes of death.  It is also a sign of inequality and the cause of environmental damage, and yet is a problem that few have heard of.

                            • Rome
                              • 25 June 2015
                               
                               

                              Building the Energy Union

                                The ongoing efforts to build a well functioning Energy Union in Europe should be seen in the context of major global changes related in various ways to the energy sector – possibly a whole new phase of globalization, featuring new actors, new forms of balance of power, new conflicts (actual or potential).

                              • Milan
                                • 14 June 2015
                                 
                                 

                                A positive economy: shaping the future

                                  Discussions at this year’s Annual Conference for the Friends of Aspen centered on the long-term economic priority of sustainable development for future generations, viewed as an important strategic objective at the macro level for individual national economies, and at the micro level for companies and other market players. It was noted that various competing economic models aimed at achieving this goal are emerging, including the sharing economy, the civil economy, and the positive economy.

                                • Rome
                                  • 10 June 2015
                                   
                                   

                                  Cross‐generation roundtable – Business: the value of rule of law

                                    Underpinning discussions at this Aspen Junior Fellows roundtable were lawfulness and merit as dual pillars of intergenerational solidarity. It was observed that illegality curbs growth and social mobility, rewards the undeserving by distorting competition, and widens social gaps. Its victims are the young and honest businesses. Figures were cited showing that, between 2006-2012, Italy’s resultant “reputational deficit” led to an estimated 16 billion euro loss in foreign investment.

                                  • Milan
                                    • 8 June 2015
                                     
                                     

                                    From obstacle to opportunity: how European institutions can help businesses and improve the job market

                                      We need a new way of narrating Europe. We need it above all to counter the populist drift that has made anti-Europeanism its motto.  Data provided by the Eurobarometer, the instrument measuring the belief of European citizens in the idea of Europe, shows that the vision of the founding fathers is in free fall. In 2008, 75% of Italian citizens were strongly convinced that the European project was a good thing, while today there is a risk that this percentage will drop below 50%.

                                    • Venice
                                      • 22 May 2015
                                       
                                       

                                      Demographics and migration in Europe: multiple challenges for complex societies

                                        The global imbalances reflected in demographic trends, in terms of  economic and safety levels, are huge, and must be considered as a central factor in devising any realistic  policy options.  Whatever happens, there will be waves of migrants heading for Europe, as well as North America and the other wealthy countries in the world, with numbers undoubtedly increasing whenever there are any major conflicts underway.  Faced with this reality and given the difference in the number of young workers compared to pensioners and the overall burden of the continent’s welfare syst