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      • Vicenza
        • 29 September 2013
         
         

        Family business as an engine for responsible growth

          The resilience of family businesses, still accounting for over 60% of Italy’s medium-sized and large firms, has been reaffirmed throughout the crisis. However, the protracted recessionary environment and credit crunch, in conjunction with ongoing succession processes, is forcing many of them to fundamentally rethink their business models, financial and ownership structures in order to return to a growth path – or otherwise succumb to the fierce global competition.

        • Rome
          • 25 September 2013
           
           

          Cross‐generation roundtable – Italy today and tomorrow

            This roundtable saw the inception of a debate between various generations on issues of common interest to each of them. The event took its inspiration from Aspen Institute founder Walter Paepcke’s guiding notion that “only in such a fusion of talents, abilities, and philosophies can there be even a modest hope for the future, a partial alleviation of the chaos and misunderstandings of today”.

          • Milan
            • 23 September 2013
             
             

            Of culture and networks: strategies to spur innovation and growth

              The opening premise of this National Interest roundtable was that although Italy boasts a cultural heritage without equal, it is unfortunately not exploited to best advantage through a uniform and identifiable strategy actually capable of generating economic benefits comparable to those produced in other countries despite having a much poorer cultural offering.

            • Rome
              • 18 September 2013
               
               

              Italy’s welfare system: living with risk

                At this roundtable session dealing with the future of Italy’s welfare system, the participants observed that tackling the issue of risk management requires the resolution of an evident paradox, namely, that while the risks to which households and firms are exposed are becoming greater in number and increasingly serious, the public resources needed to address them are in ever more limited supply.

              • Venice
                • 12 July 2013
                 
                 

                Building a responsible citizenship: values, ideas, participation

                  The opening premise of this ASL session was that any examination of the concept of responsible citizenship must first focus on the value system that underpins the relationship between citizens and their leaders. At the heart of this relationship (often perceived as dichotomous in nature) is a paradigm now challenged by growing grassroots demand for proof of legitimacy. Rising to such demands is a clear priority for leaders capable of steering and shaping the course of events.

                • Venice
                  • 12 July 2013
                   
                   

                  Smart cities in a multipolar world: infrastructure, services, sustainable transport

                    Driving discussion at this ASL session on smart cities was the recognition that, in the midst of the polycentric globalization process unfolding, cities are becoming hubs of increasingly smarter networks capable of galvanizing and generating new momentum for innovation and growth. Any satellite photo will suffice to reveal a web of interconnected urban expanses, serving as crossroads and convergence points for tangible and intangible infrastructure.

                  • Venice
                    • 12 July 2013
                     
                     

                    (R)evolutions in the digital ecosystem: rethinking business, consumers and government

                      The aphorism “The fast will eat the slow” was held up at this ASL seminar as the harsh law governing the digital ecosystem of today and tomorrow. To be “fast”, however, implies being able to rely on technologically-advanced infrastructure capable of sustaining competition at an international level. Indeed, major firms are continuing to invest in technology, even in the midst of the current crisis, precisely because of their acceptance that competitiveness drives economic growth, and that improving education and speeding up bureaucracy are not sufficient alone.

                    • Venice
                      • 12 July 2013
                       
                       

                      Challenges and opportunities for a changing society: older, wiser, healthier

                        The point of departure for discussions at this ASL session was an acknowledgement that the gradual but inexorable process of population aging is having profound effects on the demographic and economic structure of societies. In this regard, the participants pointed to forecast trends that speak volumes: in all developed countries, and especially in Italy, Japan and Germany, the proportion of elderly people relative to the total population will continue to rise substantially.

                      • Venice
                        • 12 July 2013
                         
                         

                        Global energy outlook and the big transitions

                          Given the unique role played by the energy sector in the global economy, the current recession makes it imperative to take stock of the major trends unfolding in the industry. Before the crisis, the sector seemed on the verge of a major restructuring, due to the combined impact of new sources of natural gas and mounting environmental concerns. The effects of the intervening global downturn, though yet to be fully gauged, are in any event set to be asymmetrical.

                        • Venice
                          • 12 July 2013
                           
                           

                          Governing complexity in the country system: challenges, priorities and Italy’s choices

                            Debate at this ASL session focused on framing the complexities of Italy’s economic system within an international context widely held to be in a state of crisis. It was submitted that a closer look at the real economy reveals a need to bolster the international competitive ranking of Italian firms and sectors with reforms capable of shaping the future evolution of the country’s education and research sector, the functioning of the labor market, and the banking and financial system.

                          • Naples
                            • 5 July 2013
                             
                             

                            The changing Mediterranean: the quest for growth and the Gulf factor

                              Discussions at this 2-day event got underway with the observation that the Mediterranean Sea clearly connects Europe not just with North Africa, but also the Middle East, the Anatolian Peninsula, and the Persian Gulf. All these axes present opportunities for growth through greater interdependence, in spite of the current difficulties being experienced by European economies and the political uncertainty holding back those on the southern shores of the Mediterranean.

                            • 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.