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National Programs

  • Milan
    • 28 November 2011
     
     

    The “green economy”: new opportunities for Italy

      The key objective to emerge from the discussions at this National Conference was that of transforming a constraint into an opportunity. The green economy must be made the cornerstone of a new, more sustainable and enduring development model. It was observed that, in recent years, particularly in the wake of the protracted effects of the worst economic and financial crisis in recent history, the world has begun to stop treating the “environmental factor” as a possible limitation on freedom of enterprise, but rather to see it from a more comprehensive perspective.

    • Rome
      • 8 February 2011
       
       

      Priority interventions in Italy’s south: avoiding a two-speed country

        Debate at this National Interest Conference got underway with the observation that overcoming the social and economic divide between Northern and Southern Italy requires a profound rethink of intervention policies together with an overall return to efficiency and effectiveness in public action.

      • 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.

        • Milan
          • 11 April 2011
           
           

          The design industry: value added for Italy’s economic growth

            Added value of over 140 billion euros and employment for around 3.3 million people: this was the snapshot, in figures, presented at this National Interest roundtable session of the engine of Italy’s manufacturing system, driven by the country’s leading sectors – the so-called “4 Fs” of the Made-in-Italy industry: Ferrari cars and non-electronic machinery and equipment, fashion and clothing, food and beverage, and furniture and wood products.

          • Milan
            • 25 July 2011
             
             

            New forms of poverty: social, economic and political implications

              This National Conference got underway with the observation that, in Italy as in Europe, emerging forms of poverty have mainly affected segments of the population that were previously relatively protected but that have now become socially and economically vulnerable. This phenomenon has also been accompanied by the onset of other hardships, stemming from the intensification of migration flows.

            • Milan
              • 27 September 2010
               
               

              SMEs: growth and collaboration in a new global scenario

                More than three years after the outbreak of the crisis which engulfed the world economy, Italian businesses have shown that they have, on the whole, withstood the impact of the economic and financial tsunami. The country remains the fifth-ranking global manufacturing power and the second in Europe after Germany, running counter to the trend that has seen a progressive reduction in the market shares of traditional industrial economies – the US and Japan in particular.

              • 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
                    • 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.

                    • 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.

                      • 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.

                        • Milan
                          • 20 September 2010
                           
                           

                          Italy’s savings: how to make it work for the country’s development

                            The Conference got underway with an acknowledgement that savings have played a key role in maintaining Italy’s stability during the more acute phases of the recent financial crisis, and may play an even more important role now as a driver of the country’s economic recovery and growth.

                          • 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.

                                • 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.

                                  • Milan
                                    • 19 January 2009
                                     
                                     

                                    Public investment to reinforce the real economy

                                      In the history of any country, there are phases where it is necessary to build and phases where wealth produced needs to be distributed. Italy, hit by the international crisis, finds itself in the former condition and aims to bolster its economy by building new infrastructure and, in the process, create jobs and facilitate the movement of people and goods.

                                    • Milan
                                      • 15 June 2009
                                       
                                       

                                      Outlets for culture: balancing business, art, society

                                        The participants in this roundtable discussion observed that in order to debate the issue of culture and its link with society (hence, with the places where culture exists or is showcased) and with businesses (those in a position to fund cultural initiatives and make them possible and accessible), an understanding of what “culture” means is vital. Indeed, it was observed that the concept of culture is polysemous.

                                      • Milan
                                        • 14 December 2009
                                         
                                         

                                        Italy’s banking system after the financial crisis

                                          The National Conference got underway with the observation that one of the negative effects of the international financial crisis has been to halt debate on the problems afflicting the savings market in Italy, and on what measures are needed to overcome them. These problems were already beginning to emerge as early as the late 1990s, but they have become more evident as a result of the crisis.

                                        • 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.