Science and people. Understanding and supporting research and its applications
There has been a waning over recent years in society’s trust in and understanding of scientific progress and its pervasive benefits. How can science and public opinion be reconciled when the two appear to exist on parallel planes, divided by the critical confrontation being fomented by the social networks? A polarization of positions that is influencing the perceptions of communities and of policies that include with scientific and/or technical aspects.
The requalification of industrial areas in crisis: a vision for the future.
The crises of 2008 and 2011 had a greater impact on Umbria than they did on other parts of Italy and Europe. Conditions had already begun to deteriorate in the early 2000s, creating a division between Umbria, a region with a great manufacturing tradition, and the wealthier parts of the country. The study presented at the conference cited microeconomic data about the origins of the crisis and highlighted a sharp polarization of companies’ competitiveness.
The future of labor: uncertainty and emerging values
This roundtable devoted to examining the workplace of the future also marked the launch of a new Aspen Institute Italia initiative, the Aspen University Fellows group, aimed at students that are at an advanced stage of their university studies. It was observed that these members of generation Z, the post-Millennials born after 1995, are called upon to grapple with two challenges: the creative destruction of jobs caused by technological innovation and the need to build a new social contract that ensures shared prosperity, inclusion, and competitiveness.
Aspen Institute Italia Award
The winner of the third edition of the Aspen Institute Italia Award for scientific research and collaboration between Italy and the United States was a study entitled “The quest for forbidden crystals”, conducted by Luca Bindi, Associate Professor of Mineralogy and Crystallography at the Department of Earth Sciences of the University of Florence, and by Paul J. Steinhardt, Albert Einstein Professor in Science and Director of the Princeton Center for Theoretical Science at Princeton University.
Focus on industry: human capital and artificial intelligence
Proceedings at this Aspen Seminar for Leaders began with an examination of the premise that the digital revolution currently underway is subverting the relationship between humankind and machine, with the change in progress being not only technological but also cultural in nature. With the advent of robots, the economy, society, and the law are also changing – all at a breakneck pace that was inconceivable in past revolutions.
Innovation to boost competitiveness in agriculture
The participants at this national roundtable described Italian agriculture as a sector which, although growing, is still replete with shortcomings. The industry has shown that it can shift exports of over 41 billion euro, but this is still not in the league of Germany’s 80 billion euro figure. It was felt that the sector continues to suffer from insufficient competitiveness, due mainly to a lack of investment and innovation.
Future by quality: life sciences and research in Italy
The participants at this National Interest event kicked off their discussions by observing that the pharmaceutical industry is one of the main agents of modernization and innovation in Italy, with its success rooted in the historical events and conditions that have helped shape the current Italian model.
Rethinking our future, with Augmented Intelligence
This meeting and debate session kicked off with observation that the debate over the impacts of cutting-edge technologies, such as artificial intelligence, on the business and professional world, and, indirectly, on educational and social systems, has become a pressing one. The new prospects that they open up also call for reflection on the part of intellectuals and politicians, who have typically shown no inclination towards certain subject matters that, in the past, were the preserve of highly-specialized and circumscribed niches in tech circles and, to some extent, in academia.
Mapping future leadership on the strength of experience
Several topics were debated at the first biennial conference of the Aspen Junior Fellows Alumni, a group embodying a wealth of up-and-coming young talent already adept at conscientiously applying the ethos of Aspen Institute Italia from having taken part in the Aspen Junior Fellows initiative. The focus of the event was to discern, through the exchange of experiences and views, the challenges facing leaders of the future.
Technology and Innovation. The Case of Israel and potential partnerships
Creating and nurturing a local innovation ecosystem with wide potential spinoffs for the economy is a great challenge, but real success stories are still relatively rare. Israel may well be one such case, particularly looking at Tel Aviv and Silicon Wadi. More broadly, the Israeli economy has come to share several traits with the most advanced and creative innovation centers.
Aspenia Talks – Economic relations between Italy and the United States
- Good evening. Thank you Professor Tremonti for the kind introduction. I have actually had the pleasure of meeting Professor Tremonti before, and as I’m sure you all know, he is a very perceptive observer of Italian and world affairs. I am honored to be on stage with him. He is the professor, and I am just the student.
- It’s a pleasure to speak with you tonight about economic relations between the United States and Italy.
- I have been living in Italy, the bel paese, for six months now, and so in many respects, I a
Italian talent abroad
This National Interest event of the Italian Talent Abroad group focused on work, training and innovation as the key launching pads for the country’s future. It was noted that while the issue of employment is one that impacts on the whole of Europe, it has an even greater bearing in Italy. In particular, there is a risk of losing an entire generation of talent, thereby fueling a vicious circle, since the destruction of skills and expertise in many sectors constitutes an irreversible process.