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      • Rome
        • 21 June 2005
         
         

        Cities of the future: events, services, technology

          This conference focused on the demands faced by the future city. Big cities will have to attract, involve and assimilate ever greater numbers of people, who, in turn, will be seeking ever greater efficiency without sacrificing beauty and cultural identity. In an increasingly multicultural environment, cities are searching for new tools to render diverse elements compatible: smooth production processes, pleasing aesthetics and social cohesion. The also have to succeed in attracting tourism and then to manage it in a sustainable fashion.

        • Rome
          • 9 June 2005
           
           

          Italian business and the labor market

            This conference focussed on relaunching Italy’s economy in terms of productivity, training and flexibility. The debate revolved around the following issues: those measures best suited to making the system more competitive, new policies to improve human resources, the means to better integrate immigrants and women in the working population, proposals to lower labor costs and to increase flexibility in the labor market, the welfare state, and labor protection laws.

          • Rome
            • 7 June 2005
             
             

            Luncheon in honor of Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica

              On June 7, at the Rome offices of Aspen Institute Italia, a luncheon was held in honor of the Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Koštunica, who was on an official visit to Italy together with a delegation including Pedrag Bubalo, Minister of Economy and Privatization, Velimir Ilić, Minister for Investment, and Milan Parivodić, Minister for International Economic Relations.

            • Rome
              • 27 May 2005
               
               

              Africa: our common interest

                The International Workshop “Africa: our common interest” was organized at the Rome City Hall to present the Commission for Africa Report. British prime minister Tony Blair made a special appearance at the event, and was welcomed by Italy’s deputy prime minister (and Chairman of Aspen Italia) Giulio Tremonti.

              • Rome
                • 24 May 2005
                 
                 

                The role of logistics for Italy’s competitiveness

                  This roundtable highlighted the need to redesign Italy’s infrastructure network in a fashion that is coherent with demand. Lower-cost projects that offer an immediate return on investment are of particular importance. Strategic priority should be given to ports and to train tunnels in order to facilitate the flow of commerce from the Far East.

                • Rome
                  • 19 May 2005
                   
                   

                  The leadership in Italy: an analysis in the international context

                    Aspen Institute Italia, with a seminar entitled “The leadership in Italy: an analysis in the international context”, launched a new project on leadership. Many Aspen Junior Fellows participated in the event, together with authoritative figures from Italy and abroad. The results of a survey undertaken by the Carlo Cattaneo University of Castellanza and the Bocconi University in Milan of 103 Italian business leaders and an equal number of executives from the public sector were presented on this occasion.

                  • Milan
                    • 16 May 2005
                     
                     

                    The role of Italy’s culture in globalization

                      The spring meeting of the Friends of Aspen was held in the Milan theater “Il Piccolo di Milano – Teatro Strehler” this year. The prestige of the location suited the high level of cultural debate: The role of Italy’s culture in globalization. As usual during this annual meeting, new members were presented to the group. Participants also discussed a series of issues from which to choose the topic of the annual conference, to be held in November this year.

                    • Rome
                      • 11 May 2005
                       
                       

                      Basel II and IAS (International Accounting Standard): the “new double entry” for banks and business

                        Participants discussed risks and opportunities springing from the new international accounting standards. They considered, in particular, consequences on budgets, net assets, and aggregation processes. They also reflected on difficulties the new system will cause for businesses and how businesspeople are preparing. The conference ended with a discussion of the new relationship between banks and businesses that the Basel 2 Accord will soon create, and of how the Accord’s credit risk innovations will condition that relationship.

                      • Rome
                        • 4 May 2005
                         
                         

                        The attractiveness of Italy’s economic model

                          The roundtable discussion focused on the means and mechanisms to improve the attractiveness of the Italian economy. The roundtable participants voiced their disagreement with views that the country’s economic health is “in decline”, noting that such assessments are fueled by the presence within the country of areas with structural difficulties in adapting to international competition and the tendency towards making generalizations without taking into account territorial specificities and the existence of points of excellence.

                        • Rome
                          • 29 April 2005
                           
                           

                          The Balkans in Europe’s future

                            From the international workshop organized by Aspen Institute Italia at the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs emerged a proposal to draw up a “road map for the Balkans”. Participants met before an ample audience to discuss the “The Balkans in Europe’s future” and to consider strategies to help integrate southeastern Europe into the EU and other international organizations. The Balkans are relatively stable, military conflict has ceased, ethnic cleansing is a thing of the past, and free elections have been held.

                          • Rome
                            • 6 April 2005
                             
                             

                            Telecommunications, content, broadcasting: services and markets

                              This roundtable focused on problems presented by rapid development in the telecommunications sector and prospects for growth. The diverse platforms, each with their special characteristics and peculiarities, provide the customer with a variety of choices and services, in accordance with their particular needs. In order to compete, businesses must present their products in original ways as well as satisfy the customer’s demand for an interactive and personalized product.

                            • Rome
                              • 16 March 2005
                               
                               

                              Free trade and competitiveness

                                Freeing up markets entails a variety of phenomena: opening up to competition, increasing efficiency, offering greater choice to the consumer and improving access to capital markets for businesses. Discussion here involved all players. First participants focused on the government, and the Authorities that supervise competition and liberalization. Then they turned to Italy’s system of businesses and financial intermediaries that are led to look for new market and to rationalize their own productive processes.

                              • Rome
                                • 11 March 2005
                                 
                                 

                                China’s challenge to Europe and the U.S.

                                  This meeting, organized as an informal discussion among a small number of European and American experts, focussed in particular on the problem of the EU embargo on arms sales to China, in the broader context of economic and security challenges currently presented by the rapidly growing economic and demographic giant. Of the various issues that emerged, two regarding domestic policy stand out: political reforms and human rights, crucial criteria in evaluating Beijing’s progress since Tienanmen in 1989 – which gave birth to the embargo in the first place.

                                • Milan
                                  • 7 March 2005
                                   
                                   

                                  The new communications system: a challenge for the media

                                    New tools, new forms of access, availability of content, large variety of sources, increased Internet use: news has changed dramatically, and the challenges for the media are many. This roundtable, held at the Corriere della Sera offices in Milan, invited discussion on Italy’s particular situation with relation to the global communications market. Media training, revolutions ongoing on an industrial level, doubts on a regulatory level (especially as concerns intellectual property, as norms guarding copyright are mostly obsolete) were all on the table.

                                  • Milan
                                    • 28 February 2005
                                     
                                     

                                    Financing innovation: new proposals and instruments

                                      This conference identified a series of risks and opportunities for financing innovation. Policies are difficult to draw up, just as innovation is different to pin down. The first obstacle is uncertainty: naturally, it is impossible to foresee the results of research and plan the market’s reaction to a new product or service. As the outcome of an innovative venture is unknown, so is the conviction of the person innovating and the person sponsoring that innovation unbalanced.

                                    • Milan
                                      • 14 February 2005
                                       
                                       

                                      The search for our soul: mistery and passion

                                        This meeting, held in the beautiful Ambrosiana library, offered the occasion to reflect on a very different topic than usual, at Aspen Italia events: the soul, as seen in different cultures, and as it inspires everyone – whether he or she believes in God or not – to consider the most profound issues for humanity. Participants quickly, but without succumbing to superficiality, reviewed the notion of “soul” as it has been appreciated over the centuries and in different cultures.

                                      • Rome
                                        • 8 February 2005
                                         
                                         

                                        Rethinking globalization: Italy’s role in EU-India relations

                                          This workshop, held in Aspen’s Rome offices on the eve of Italian President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi’s trip to India, involved authoritative members of India’s English-speaking press. Participants considered conditions necessary for better economic and political relations between the EU and India. Special attention was dedicated to Italy’s role in reinforcing bilateral relations and in increasing trade and direct investment to a country that experts agree will soon represent a serious competitor on international markets.