Culture, business and local development: a new soft power for Italy
Italy has a major competitive edge based not only on its unparalleled historic heritage but also on a deep-rooted tradition of knowhow that has long been a demonstration of a constant propensity for innovation
Agriculture: from food security to food sovereignty
“Agriculture: from food security to food sovereignty” offered an opportunity to confront multiple issues regarding the agri-food sector, which accounts for a full 15% of (…)Agriculture: from food security to food sovereignty
Design(ing) the future: technology, training, sustainability
The recent Milan Design Week celebrated the relaunch of the wood furniture industry, which is showing some significant signs of vitality in terms of growth and exports thanks to companies’ strong concentration on technology and sustainability.
The banking system and business financing: new challenges
Business financing today is facing some daunting challenges. Italian firms are having to confront a particularly uncertain scenario marked by a deep credit crunch and an exponential increase in the cost of raw materials.
Universities, Research, Intelligence: strengthening relations
The intelligence sector has undergone enormous transformations over recent years, spurred not least by an exponential increase in the availability of and access to data sources.
The future of labor
Rapid change is a feature of the contemporary world that highlights a series of uncertainties and opportunities for labor and professional formation. Overcoming those uncertainties (…)The future of labor
Italy between energy security and the green transition
At one year from the start of the Ukraine war, which has upended an energy sector already struggling under the pressure of the post-Covid recovery, Europe finds itself faced with a “trilemma”.
Aspen Collective Mind: Business and youth
The Italian economy registered GDP growth of 3.9% in 2022. The picture that paints is of a strong country buoyed by the indisputable resilience of an Italian entrepreneurial fabric that has been able to respond rapidly and with impressive agility to the global challenges ushered in at the start of the decade.
Italy’s recovery and resilience plan: how to strengthen and accelerate the implementation phase
After two years of planning, the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) has reached the point of implementation, with distributions going to local agencies that are now tasked with administering the funds. This undertaking is not devoid of problems associated with technical and administrative capacities. While on the one hand Italy is among the countries leading the definition of objectives and requesting installments from Europe, at the same time it is saddled with the age-old difficulty getting projects off the ground; indeed, according to a government update, only 15 billion of the 39 billion allotted has been spent.
The future of the automotive industry: between innovation and transition
The changes underway in the automotive sector today are almost unique to that industry, in that they originate externally.
The Drivers of Business Development
We are living in times of crisis and discontinuity, the former of which has a beginning and an end while the latter endures, leaving its indelible mark. In the words of Pope Francis, ours is not an era of change but a change of era.
New jobs = New (remote) training
New jobs and new training can form a virtuous cycle in which the market’s demand for innovative professional figures fuels the demand for training, which in turn generates new work profiles. The pandemic has hastened the switch to digital, the main driver of innovation in professional and training sectors alike.
Aspen Collective Mind Seminar – Policies for relaunching the South
A nighttime satellite view of the European continent shows Italy, unlike all the other countries, as clearly divided in two: a brightly illuminated center-north – (…)Aspen Collective Mind Seminar – Policies for relaunching the South
Focus on Industry: resilience and recovery
The era of hyper-globalization that started back in the 1980s brought global production lines to geographic areas that offered lower production costs. However, over the (…)Focus on Industry: resilience and recovery
The start-up ecosystem: strategies for innovation, competitiveness and growth
Although far from the levels of other advanced economies, Italy’s start-up ecosystem has made considerable strides over recent years. Italy now has an opportunity to press forward and to make up for delays in the generation of innovative enterprises.
Design and Made in Italy: how to relaunch key sectors
The world needs to be reassessed. A design overhaul is called for, and this presents a unique opportunity for Italy. The post-pandemic recovery brought a major uptick in Italian exports, which are among the most diversified in the world for number of products. This is the result of a massive creative effort that is amply represented by the key sector of fine wood furniture. The efficiency of family-run businesses, the resilience of niche product leaders and diversification are all factors that contribute to the success of Italian design around the world.
Reform of the Procurement Code
The Procurement Code is primarily an instrument intended to facilitate the rapid, efficient and innovative execution of public works. The current Code, which dates back to 2016, has been the subject of continual reforms that have made it not only a never-ending story but also in some extremely important aspects an unfinished one. Examples include the digitalization and qualification of contracting authorities, the discipline of which still struggles to achieve full implementation.
Agro-industry and its challenges: investments, skills and technologies
The global food supply troubles did not start with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine; there were numerous warnings over the two years of the pandemic, and even before that with the food crisis of 2008.
Taxation as a lever for development
Taxation is not only one of the pillars of modern democracy, but can also be a significant resource for development. This is even truer in our current post-pandemic phase, when governments are being called upon to undertake some major transformational processes.
New businesses, skills, generations
Global Tax: business opportunities and challenges