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National Roundtable

  • Rome
    • 7 June 2011
     
     

    Reforming corporate governance: proposals and tools

      The participants at this National Roundtable noted that, in recent years, the corporate governance of Italian firms has changed in a rapid and decisive – though in some ways haphazard –  manner. This process, which started in the 1990s, particularly in the wake of the wave of privatizations, was intended to make the financial market more attractive to foreign and Italian investors by providing greater guarantees for the protection of minority shareholders.

    • Rome
      • 14 September 2011
       
       

      Sharing our future: forging an alliance between state and market for a new social contract

        At this roundtable session dedicated to the future of Italy’s pension system, it was observed that population aging, the impending retirement of the baby boomer generation, the prolonged period of economic stagnation currently being experienced and dwindling public resources are driving Italy, as well as most other developed nations, to tackle questions regarding the relationship between the role of public and private social security schemes. Today, pensions, healthcare and welfare, in their various forms, are no longer being delivered solely by the state.

      • Milan
        • 17 January 2011
         
         

        The meaning of growth: paradigms, old and new

          Once upon a time, there was GDP. Or rather, once there was “just” GDP, understood as an aggregate indicator used to measure a country’s economic growth by quantifying the flow of goods and services for end-use and produced within a certain period of time in a given territory.

        • Rome
          • 26 October 2011
           
           

          Eurobonds: the intricate relations between politics and economics

            Discussions at this national roundtable session got underway with the observation that the idea of introducing European public debt securities – or so-called Eurobonds – is not a new one: indeed, it dates back to 1993 when Jacques Delors proposed, albeit in embryonic form, the issuance of European bonds to finance investment in European Community infrastructure.

          • Rome
            • 1 March 2011
             
             

            Information services in the security sector: protecting Italy’s national interest

              Discussions at this National Roundtable commenced with an acknowledgement by the participants that the global economic arena is no longer characterized by competition played out solely between businesses, but rather sees national economies pitched against each other ever more fiercely.

              This trend has led to a gradual widening of the concept of “national security”, with many States now including economic and financial security within the ambit of this term.

            • Milan
              • 21 February 2011
               
               

              How the financial system can support growth

                This national roundtable discussion got underway with the observation that, traditionally, the banking system has played a key role in economic growth by channeling personal savings into financing the productive activities of businesses.

              • Rome
                • 27 April 2011
                 
                 

                Information services in the security sector: protecting Italy’s financial and industrial system

                  The participants at this National Roundtable opened the discussion by observing that following the reform of the Italian intelligence services, the activities of the relevant agencies are no longer confined to the protection of the political and military interests of the country, but also extend to defending its “economic, scientific and industrial” interests.

                • Milan
                  • 26 September 2011
                   
                   

                  Venture capital and start-ups: boosting innovation and youth employment

                    The participants at this roundtable session observed that Italy has long been a country that, paradoxically, is brimming with ideas yet marked by scant innovation and little skilled employment for the young talent chiefly responsible for these ideas. The abundant and inexpensive intellectual resources on hand are held back by a combination of a poor aptitude for project creation and poor communication among the various actors who are in a position to ensure that good ideas translate into great innovations.

                  • Rome
                    • 17 March 2010
                     
                     

                    Moving people: how to improve competitiveness, efficiency, and quality

                      The roundtable participants began their examination of the mobility issues affecting Italy today with the observation that, last year alone, Italian households spent on average more than 35 billion euro on getting from one place to another. Also in 2009, the cost of congestion in metropolitan areas was around 9 billion euro. Just in Rome, for example, fuel consumption totaled between 12-15 million euro in the same year – to which must be added the costs generated by rising pollution in cities and areas beyond city limits, as well as by road traffic accidents.

                    • Rome
                      • 24 November 2010
                       
                       

                      The economic value of Italy’s cultural patrimony

                        The discussion at this roundtable session got underway with the incisive observation that managing and exploiting a vast and valuable cultural heritage requires a well-thought-out cultural policy, and a continual balance to be struck between preservation and economic development, between making use of this asset and ensuring it is not “used up”, and between the conservation of ancient artistic works and nurturing contemporary art.

                      • Milan
                        • 3 May 2010
                         
                         

                        The economic dimension of crime

                          The roundtable session opened with an acknowledgement by participants that the processes of globalization have made the fight against crime more complicated. Criminal activities have spread worldwide, expanding with the internationalization of trade and growth in migration flows. At the same time, however, organized crime has maintained a strong local flavor, due to its embeddedness in local communities and its permeation into the fabric of society.

                        • Milan
                          • 5 July 2010
                           
                           

                          Artists and artisans: resources for Italian workers

                            The roundtable session got underway with an acknowledgement by the participants of the crucial importance of reviving Italy’s artisan culture – a tradition synonymous with the production of high-quality goods through the accumulation, pooling and dissemination of know-how.

                          • Milan
                            • 26 July 2010
                             
                             

                            New international strategies to support Italian business

                              The financial crisis has considerably modified the environment in which Italian firms operate. It has introduced new problems in the export sector that are related not only to structural changes in the capital markets but also to difficulties in accessing credit.

                            • Milan
                              • 15 November 2010
                               
                               

                              Italy’s demographic trends: problems and opportunities

                                Proceedings at this roundtable session got underway with the participants observing that an aging population, immigration and the brain drain are issues that Italy needs to address by looking to the future as well as at the past. Indeed, the current state of affairs is the product of previous trends. In decades gone by, there was a surplus of births over deaths and a negative migration balance, but today that situation has been reversed.

                              • Rome
                                • 21 January 2010
                                 
                                 

                                Finding alternative indicators of well-being and growth in Italy

                                  The debate over the need to broaden the scope of economic indicators – and more particularly, moving beyond measurements of GDP – has inspired a wide range of studies on the topic both in Italy and abroad. This roundtable event examined a recent Aspen Institute Italia-Fondazione Edison study entitled “Italy in the new geo-economy of the G-20”, which aims to contribute further to this discussion. The study reveals an Italy that is better-placed than indicated by traditional rankings and compares favorably with other industrialized economies in numerous fields.

                                • Milan
                                  • 22 February 2010
                                   
                                   

                                  Increasing Italy’s exports

                                    The roundtable got underway with an examination of the twofold characterization of Italian exports that has, for over a decade, been a core theme in public debate over the competitiveness of the Italian economy in the age of globalization – one which sees exports both as a driver of Italy’s growth and, at the same time, as a reflection of the outward-looking nature of the Italian production system.

                                  • Milan
                                    • 2 February 2009
                                     
                                     

                                    Reforming market capitalism

                                      The participants at this roundtable were deeply critical of the lack of transparency in the international financial system, the product of an out-of-control laissez-faire capitalism and a global lex mercatoria that has swept aside traditional capitalist organizational forms and the regulatory functions of public authorities.

                                    • Milan
                                      • 16 March 2009
                                       
                                       

                                      Low cost – high value: a new business model

                                        Discussion at this roundtable event got underway with the participants citing recent figures indicating that 70% of Italians anticipate they will have to cut down on spending in 2009. The figure was 21% in 2001, 29% in 2002 and 42% in 2004. At a time of international crisis, this growing trend is forcing businesses to rethink their business models.

                                      • Rome
                                        • 16 September 2009
                                         
                                         

                                        The common good: truth and gift-giving

                                          The participants at this roundtable session noted that Pope Benedict XVI, in his recent encyclical entitled Caritas in veritate, reiterates that “the world is in trouble because of the lack of thinking”. It would seem that modern life, with its daily challenges, is focusing minds on more immediate and direct concerns. Today’s cultural impoverishment and loss of ideals has generated a fear of living, thought and reflection.

                                        • Rome
                                          • 16 July 2009
                                           
                                           

                                          Expanding broadband in Italy

                                            Discussion at this roundtable event got underway with the observation that the development and spread of broadband internet access services have played and will continue to play a key role in the growth of the Italian economy. Indeed, the potential of broadband services to contribute to the simplification of business and administrative processes and the introduction of more efficient business models constitutes an essential prerequisite for improving the international competitiveness of the country’s economy.