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      • 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).

                            • Rome
                              • 17 October 2012
                               
                               

                              Innovation and research to beat the crisis

                                Innovation is a complex process that requires creativity and talent, as well as infrastructure, long-term investment and a truly effective merit-based system of incentives: these were the watchwords at this event to launch the latest issue of Aspenia. Indeed, it was observed that for a society to be innovative in the twenty-first century world, it must have the scope and ability to combine scientific research with applied technology, thereby transforming ideas into products or services that are useful from a market perspective.

                              • Milan
                                • 8 October 2012
                                 
                                 

                                Implementing a digital agenda to spur Italy’s economic growth

                                  This national roundtable examining the ramifications of implementing Italy’s digital agenda got underway with the participants citing a few statistics on point. Firstly, it was noted that the internet economy contributes 2% to Italy’s GDP – the same as agriculture, but with a potential of at least double that, thus bringing levels seen in England or Sweden within reach for the country.

                                • Rome
                                  • 3 October 2012
                                   
                                   

                                  Reducing Italy’s public debt: is selling public assets a solution?

                                    Kick-starting discussions at this national roundtable event was the observation that few subjects have lent themselves as well in Italian public debate to the vivid use of metaphors as has the scale of the country’s public debt, often described as a mountain to be climbed, a dead weight, or as tantamount to a mortgage on Italy’s future. The actual figure is indeed staggering, amounting to nearly 2 trillion euros, and exceeding 123% of GDP.

                                  • Berlin
                                    • 28 September 2012
                                     
                                     

                                    The Eurozone’s path: the Union between reality and aspiration

                                      The current financial crisis has thrown into sharp relief the close links that exist between monetary policy, the banking sector, sovereign debt, and serious imbalances within the Eurozone. The vehemence and longevity of the crisis have called into question the very political structure of the European Union as well as its institutional architecture, both in need of modification through a more rigorous application of existing rules, but also by means of the assignment of new responsibilities and the creation of new mechanisms.

                                    • Milan
                                      • 24 September 2012
                                       
                                       

                                      The banking sector and industry: creating a virtuous cycle to stimulate Italy’s real economy

                                        Kicking off discussions at this national conference was the observation that the current financial crisis, evidently systemic in nature, is predominantly being shaped at this stage by perceived risk factors linked to vulnerabilities in the real economy and the banking system. Efforts in the political, economic and monetary arenas – both at national and European levels – seem to have eased speculative pressures on the markets and tentatively restored international investor confidence.

                                      • Spoleto
                                        • 21 September 2012
                                         
                                         

                                        The Enlightenment and the Transatlantic Link: Common Roots and Today’s Challenges

                                          The third edition of “The Enlightenment and the Transatlantic Link: Common Roots and Today’s Challenges” took place within the setting of Spoleto’s Palazzo Ancaiani. The event was organized in conjunction with The Aspen Institute and was aimed at discussing the continued relevance today of Enlightenment values, through an interpretation of over thirty selected texts by American and European authors, including several from Italy. This modern-day rereading of these fonts of Enlightenment thinking was divided into five sessions structured around the following universal themes: