Paris
28 June 2013
Role of the State in relaunching the economy
Discussions at this two-day seminar centered on the role of local, national and European-level public actors in stimulating economic recovery.
Chronological archive
Rome
25 June 2013
New infrastructure to help Italian business compete on the international scene
This National Interest roundtable served as an opportunity to present and discuss the preliminary findings of the study initiated by Fondazione Enel, in conjunction with the LUISS Guido Carli University and Aspen Institute Italia. Those in attendance were provided with an abridged version of the final report which will be presented in the fourth quarter of the year.
Milan
17 June 2013
E‐commerce, security, distribution channels: opportunities and challenges for businesses and consumers
At this national roundtable discussion, it was observed that the global phenomenon known as e-commerce is bringing about a paradigm shift in distribution models for products and services. In a scenario of constantly increasing online sales, growth in this sector seems unlikely to slow down, thanks also to the spread of new technologies – such as smartphones and tablets – that are making the consumer experience even more effortless. Globally, the number of cell phones far exceeds not only that of televisions, but also mundane everyday items such as toothbrushes.
Milan
28 May 2013
Youth and Italy’s future: what new leaders need to know
By way of opening premise at this Aspen Junior Fellows meeting, it was observed that the current crisis is an accelerator of change and, like the Chinese ideogram for the word “crisis”, can be seen as posing both a problem and an opportunity. Small wonder then that young people are a prime focus of attention, given that they also represent both of these conditions. Having inherited a legacy of curtailed or betrayed hopes, younger generations appear defeatist.
Milan
27 May 2013
High-tech life sciences in Italy
It was remarked from the outset of this National Interest roundtable that the health and life sciences industry is crucial to the Italian production system due to the simultaneous existence of a number of particular factors, namely: the global nature of markets and the supranational character of competition; the potentially strategic role of public actors, owing to their ability to influence supply and stimulate investment; and the highly specialized nature of the professional skills involved.
Milan
20 May 2013
Italy’s food and agriculture industry: a key sector for global markets
Discussions at this National Conference hinged on the central observation that the Italian economy can only be revived by capitalizing on the country’s flagship production sectors, with the food and agricultural industry singled out as being of prime importance. Indeed, it was noted that the sector has continued to be a standard-bearer for “Made in Italy” excellence even amid the economic downturn.
Rome
25 April 2013
Aspen and Treccani Institutes join forces for Machiavelli showcase
Aspen Institute Italia and the Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana (or Treccani Institute), founded by its namesake Giovanni Treccani and chaired by Giuliano Amato, is holding an exhibition entitled “Niccolò Machiavelli. The Prince and his times. 1513-2013” in Rome at the Vittoriano Museum Complex from April 25 to June 16, 2013. Organized under the High Patronage of the President of the Italian Republic, the exhibition will mark the fifth centenary of the writing of The Prince by Niccolò Machiavelli.
Rome
19 April 2013
Italian talent abroad
Kicking off discussions at this National Interest event was the assertion that innovation is a complex ecosystem – an Amazonian forest in which every actor has a different role to play, but where the contribution of each is essential. While scientific and technological research is a key driver of innovation, it is not the only one. Also required is the input of public and private actors, big business and small pioneering start-ups, venture capitalists and deep and liquid stock markets, and young innovators with entrepreneurial flair and well-established mentors.
Rome
17 April 2013
Electoral reform for Italy
In this national roundtable session devoted to examining the nature of electoral reform required in Italy, the opening premise to the discussions was that modern debate on this issue primarily hinges on a straightforward question, namely: does the state of the electorate directly mirror the prevailing electoral system, or does the latter have little impact on the outcome of elections and associated divisions within the electorate?
Milan
12 April 2013
Revising the design industry: networks, culture, innovation, and business management
Driving discussions at this national roundtable was an awareness that any attempt at positing a restructure of the Italian design industry must contend with the simultaneously complex yet interesting nature of the way it currently operates.
Rome
27 March 2013
The security sector: protecting Italy and its businesses
The opening premise at this National Conference on the important economic role played by Italy’s intelligence services was that, in a globally competitive marketplace, intelligence information is a vital – albeit not the only – underpinning for the realization of any country’s potential for development and success.
Milan
18 March 2013
A multidisciplinary culture to build a new future: knowledge, capacity to change, responsibility
Discussions at this roundtable got underway with the observation that five years of crisis – triggered by the collapse of the financial sector and constantly compounded by (public and private) financial difficulties – have forced a rethink of the role of industry, which is now called on once again to become an engine of growth. Indeed, the need for a different economic vision, one which combines the kind of tangible and intangible values needed to kick-start new sustainable growth – has seen the production system return to center stage.
Cernobbio
8 March 2013
The Aspen Institute Italia Seminar on Leadership, Globalization and the Quest for Common Values
Aspen Institute Italia, in collaboration with The Aspen Institute, organized the Aspen Seminar on Leadership, Globalization and the Quest for Common Values. The seminar, conducted in English, was based on the widely-acclaimed cornerstone program of The Aspen Institute tradition in the United States.
Rome
5 March 2013
The Aspen Institute Italia Great Conversation
This event, organized in conjunction with The Aspen Institute, was modeled on the US Institute’s Aspen Seminar program, its first initiative that continues to be its flagship today. Discussions at the Great Conversation centered on the type of leadership model that those in attendance found inspiring. In particular, two different styles were compared: the first based on the emotional energy that a leader is capable of imparting to others, and the second aimed at striking a balance that captures the essence of the various possible options.
Civita Castellana
1 March 2013
The Aspen Institute Italia Seminar on Values and Society
For the seventh year running and in conjunction with The Aspen Institute, the Aspen Seminar on Values and Society was held in Italy. Those participating in this latest event in the Aspen Seminar series – the widely-acclaimed flagship program of the US Aspen Institute since 1951 – were encouraged to debate the fundamental and shared values of diverse cultures with a view to distilling the core aspects of a modern and informed approach to leadership.
Rome
6 February 2013
Does Italy need to be re‐industrialized? Models and methods to improve competitiveness
Serving as an opening premise for this meeting of the Former Aspen Junior Fellows was the observation that after years or even decades of being sidelined in economic and political debate, the issue of manufacturing development has made a comeback on the international policymaking scene. Many developed economies have long looked on – passively and sometimes even with a certain smugness – as national manufacturing industries declined, in the belief that the main engine of the economy was, and would increasingly become, the advanced services sector.