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      • 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.

        • Rome
          • 5 February 2013
           
           

          The two Americas: prospects for economic recovery

            At this event to launch the latest edition of Aspenia, the focus of debate was the fact that diverging trends in the world’s major economies have been made more patent than ever before by the financial crisis that erupted in 2008, and which, particularly in Europe, has since transformed into a sovereign debt crisis. Chief among these divergences are the almost opposite trajectories of emerging markets compared to those of traditionally advanced economies, the divide between Europe and the United States, and glaring disparities within the European Union.

          • Rome
            • 29 January 2013
             
             

            Italy’s tax police and financial markets. Preventing crimes to ensure economic stability

              This Aspen Junior Fellows meeting and debate session got underway with the observation that the importance of protecting the public economic order is underlined by the challenges currently faced by Italy in the public finance arena, which have impacted on the country’s development and its citizens’ standard of living. It was stressed that, in a modern economy, the value of lawfulness needs to be affirmed through regulatory certainty and high-quality rules, backed up by effective enforcement mechanisms.

            • London
              • 29 March 2012
               
               

              The future(s) of capitalism

                Throughout its history, capitalism has shown an outstanding ability to evolve and adapt to changing political and technological environments.

              • Milan
                • 3 December 2012
                 
                 

                Biotechnologies and life sciences in Italy: new measures to stimulate competitiveness

                  The participants in this National Roundtable observed, by way of opening premise, that biotechnology is a scientific field offering great prospects and within which Italy could play an important role. Indeed, the country boasts a high level of training and outstanding expertise in the sector. The projected rewards, including of a financial nature, are quite considerable, with attractive prospects from an industrial point of view.

                • Rome
                  • 30 November 2012
                   
                   

                  China, Europe, United States: the global adjustment

                    Opening proceedings at this International Workshop was the observation that complex challenges lie ahead for the world’s three major economic engines, namely China, Europe, and the United States. These challenges stem from the slowdown in global growth and the partial readjustment that this has entailed, but they are also the result of the various internal contradictions or inefficiencies from which each of these players suffers. Indeed, it was stressed that their main policy and institutional choices cannot be separated from those of an economic nature.

                  • Rome
                    • 28 November 2012
                     
                     

                    Growth is possible: doing business in Italy and abroad

                      For its seventeenth iteration, the Friends of Aspen Annual Conference was held for the first time at the Palazzo Lancellotti in Rome. As well as offering the now customary opportunity to take stock of the group’s activities over the past year, the event also featured an exploration by the participants of the competitive conditions facing Italian businesses today, as well as the global trends unfolding, in both domestic and overseas markets. It was observed that the last fifteen years have marked a milestone in the multinational expansion of Italian industry.

                    • Rome
                      • 21 November 2012
                       
                       

                      Tourism, infrastructure, and territorial challenges: new strategies to spur Italy’s economy

                        Discussion at this national roundtable got underway with the observation that tourism is another largely underutilized resource that features prominently in the (somewhat copious) catalog of Italy’s untapped potential. For decades, the sector has constantly been held up as representing the epitome of the country’s missed opportunities, along with culture and natural heritage, with which it is clearly interlinked.

                      • Rome
                        • 14 November 2012
                         
                         

                        America after the vote. Taxation and representation

                          The starting premise for this talk-debate was that the outcome of the recent US presidential elections confirms that social and demographic factors are instrumental in shaping the political atmosphere of the country. In particular, the Democrats were able to tap into support from segments of the electorate that are more dynamic in both an ethno-cultural and generational sense, owing to their deftness in exploiting new communications technologies.

                        • Rome
                          • 9 November 2012
                           
                           

                          The future of Europe: creating and distributing new values, beating the crisis

                            As Altiero Spinelli once observed: “Europe will not fall from the sky”, but rather needs to be built from the ground up with the involvement of everyone. These words served as the opening premise for discussions at this Aspen Junior Fellows Conference on the new challenges that will shape the cohesion and future of the European Union. On one hand, the Conference set out to address the question of the kind of new models that could guarantee prosperity and employment for all Europeans by mitigating the widening imbalances between generations.

                          • Roma
                            • 8 November 2012
                             
                             

                            Immigration and integration: challenges for the Italian society

                              Discussion at this national roundtable focusing on immigration opened with the participants citing figures showing that foreigners account for 7.5% of Italy’s population (up from 1% in 1991) and contribute over 12% of national GDP. Many migrants have chosen to settle in Italy permanently, have bought a house (20%), and have children attending Italian schools.

                            • Venice
                              • 26 October 2012
                               
                               

                              Smart cities: innovation, sustainability, and quality of life

                                Discussions at this ASL seminar got underway with the observation that the idea of smart cities has come to prominence worldwide as a driver of development in urban areas. Indeed, in the currently unfolding process of polycentric globalization, the smart city has become a linchpin in the innovation ecosystem, a network node capable of galvanizing new energies for growth, with obvious benefits for national economies.

                              • Venice
                                • 26 October 2012
                                 
                                 

                                Arts, culture and tourism in Italy: local opportunities to meet global challenges

                                  The opening premise of this ASL session was that Italy’s cultural heritage and tourism resources are capable of offering great development potential if certain strategic issues are resolved. In particular, it was stressed that heritage assets must be harnessed as a lever for wealth creation, tourist offerings need to be upgraded, and most importantly, there needs to be a renewed focus on the pivotal relationship between development and infrastructure.

                                • Venice
                                  • 26 October 2012
                                   
                                   

                                  The engines of growth for Italy’s future

                                    Discussions at this ASL session got underway with the observation that the current economic woes are indicative not of a simple downturn but of a profound crisis, which calls for a radical alteration in lifestyles and development models. It was felt that without such far-reaching changes, levels of growth throughout Europe will continue to be very low in the coming years, in part because it will be impossible to kick-start development and employment without incurring some cost.

                                  • Venice
                                    • 26 October 2012
                                     
                                     

                                    Self-interest vs. the common interest: ethics and leadership today

                                      At this Aspen Seminar for Leaders session exploring the question of what makes a modern leader, the picture painted was of someone who is not merely a conveyor of values, a consensus and team builder, and an inspirer of trust, but also of someone who respects the rules and other people, who has a strategic vision that is not untempered, who knows how to acknowledge mistakes and can make an honest assessment of defeat, and who is able to embody an idea of the future and can rally the hearts and minds of followers around this.

                                    • Venice
                                      • 26 October 2012
                                       
                                       

                                      Reshaping Europe: political, economic and social challenges

                                        Europe is at a crossroads. The Old World today is facing crucial challenges for its very survival as a political and economic unit. The task is not simple. It is a matter of defining a new economic, political and institutional architecture capable of ensuring its ability to compete with other economic and political systems at the global level.

                                      • Rome
                                        • 19 October 2012
                                         
                                         

                                        The rising economic powerhouses: Latin America’s role in the global rebalancing

                                          One of the opening observations at this International Workshop was that the shape of transatlantic relations is gradually changing with the emergence of a new global order, and that an upshot of this process is the opportunity to create a “Southern Atlanticism”, which hinges on extending traditional North Atlantic ties to Latin America (and potentially to some areas of the African continent).