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National Programs

  • Milan
    • 15 July 2019
     
     

    How the financial markets see Italy

      Current economic data offer a conflicting pitcure of the Italian country system. Some of the numbers are encouraging: the balance of payments is positive, inflation is low and portfolio investments in Italian assets have once again begun to rise, in some cases surpassing pre-2008 financial downturn levels. At the same time, unemployment levels, low growth and a public debt at near historic heights are evidence of how some key problems are far from having been resolved.

    • Milan
      • 15 April 2019
       
       

      Brexit and financial markets: the consequences for Italy

        Brexit and all the uncertainty it is generating constitute an entirely new and potentially destabilizing element for financial markets.

        London has long functioned as Europe’s main financial market despite being located outside the Eurozone. The United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union now places Europe at a crossroads: either reach an agreement making it possible to maintain a good portion of operations in London or begin the long and painstaking task of creating a continental marketplace.

      • Rome
        • 14 February 2019
         
         

        Culture, information and competition: identity and multipolar governance

          Concomitant with the adoption of more stringent European copyright rules, any discussion of innovation and competition in the information sector necessarily involves examination of the current digital revolution. The instruments of governance inherited from the traditional sectors of publishing and telecommunications no longer suffice to deal either with the changes under way or the high concentration of market shares and financial resources in the hands of so few: large scale platforms and major American and Asian digital operators (in terms both of hardware and software).

        • Rome
          • 20 March 2019
           
           

          Toward the european elections

            Europe is finally being put to the vote. Of course, the parties of individual nations will continue to count, and national issues will hold a certain importance for citizens called to the polls.  But in the end what will be at stake is a new idea of Europe, because this time, and as never before, the European construction is going to be judged politically.

          • Rome
            • 17 April 2019
             
             

            Public Administration and capitalism of the digital platforms

              The aim of this Aspen Institute Italia round table was to examine the public administration’s role in meeting the challenges posed by technological innovation. A background document entitled “Public administration and digital platform capitalism” was presented during the meeting.

            • Milan
              • 1 July 2019
               
               

              Infrastructure and sustainable mobility

                The theme of mobility is central to current reflections on economic development, and considerations on the mobility of persons and goods – to which approximately 29% of global CO2 emissions can be attributed – is a special focus.

              • Rome
                • 26 September 2019
                 
                 

                Research, Innovation, Regulation

                  Given the important links between research, innovation and regulation, businesses, universities and institutions are being called upon to work in unison to reinforce and improve Italian competitiveness and with it the economy. Indeed, highly innovative businesses, for example, consider regulation an effective aid to economic progress and the creation of value added benefits.

                • Milan
                  • 4 November 2019
                   
                   

                  Labour market: innovation and skills development

                    The global economy is undergoing deep and rapid changes that are revolutionizing how production is organized. The very concept of the “job market” seems outdated in a world where skills are increasingly becoming the real currency. If the most innovative firms’ main demand is for talent, however, it is impossible to imagine a future without policies tailored to the transition that the majority of workers are going to have to face as they adapt to the continuing changes imposed by digitalization.

                  • Milan
                    • 11 March 2019
                     
                     

                    Efficiency, innovation and sustainability in the water industry

                      Water is an undeniable human right essential to the life and health of all citizens. Its distribution, however, is a complex process that presupposes the existence of a proper industrial sector equipped to deliver it from the supply source to the private home while maintaining high standards of quality and service.

                    • Rome
                      • 2 October 2019
                       
                       

                      The circular economy and sustainable development

                        Italy is, by far, leader of Europe’s circular economy, recuperating double the European average of raw material, much more than the Germans in all sectors, but especially in hypercompetitive ones such as wood/furniture. Much needs to be improved, however, in the proper management of every phase of the waste cycle (from collection to recovery to disposal) which is an integral part of the circular economy. A single southern Italian region – Sardinia – reports recycling and reuse percentages far above the European average.

                      • Rome
                        • 24 May 2018
                         
                         

                        Constitutional reforms in Italy

                          Kicking off discussions at this National Interest event was the observation that the opening of Italy’s 18th legislature would seem to portend a new order within Italian society, among the various political parties, and within the country’s institutions. Power relations between the parties, as well as the interplay between them and the key priorities for debate, have changed.

                        • Rome
                          • 26 September 2018
                           
                           

                          The Italian Public Administration Reform: drivers, achievements, next steps and goals

                            Aspen Institute Italia’s aim in organizing this roundtable was to provide an opportunity to reflect on the processes that have characterized public administrative reform in Italy in recent years. In the course of the proceedings, a new Aspen Report was presented entitled “Public-sector reforms in Italy during the 17th legislature: their impetus, outcomes, and objectives”.

                          • Bologna
                            • 9 July 2018
                             
                             

                            Italian airport system: synergies, investment, attractiveness

                              The starting premise of discussions at this national roundtable was that the issue of air transport owes its considerable complexity to the sheer number of stakeholders involved. The interests and different perspectives of airport operators, airline companies, travelers, local authorities, and other competing and combined transport networks were seen as calling for a synergistic approach both on the part of these players themselves and of the State.

                            • Palermo
                              • 30 September 2018
                               
                               

                              Building a new silk road: Sicily’s role

                                Kicking off discussions at this National Conference was the observation that southern Italy’s ports, intermodal facilities, and adjacent hinterland areas have a strategic opportunity within their grasp, with Mediterranean routes now serving as crossroads for global traffic. It was felt, however, that in order to seize these opportunities, medium and long-term choices need to be made, with a commitment at the governmental level to ensure that the right incentives, an apposite regulatory framework, and a coherent vision for pursuing Italy’s economic interests are all in place.

                              • Rome
                                • 6 June 2018
                                 
                                 

                                Changing the way regulatory watchdogs are governed

                                  Discussions at this National Interest event devoted to the topic of changing the way independent regulatory watchdogs are governed spanned a number of issues. It was noted that such authorities, representing an embodiment of the widespread phenomenon of polycentric decision-making characteristic of the modern state, emerged in order to meet certain needs of states, such as relieving overburdened parliaments by delegating regulatory functions and introducing a certain degree of pluralism in administrative structures to cope with the increasing frequency of international dealings.

                                • Bologna
                                  • 16 October 2018
                                   
                                   

                                  New citizens and the Italian Constitution’s values

                                    Aspen Institute Italia’s aim in organizing this roundtable was to foster debate on the challenges involved in integrating foreigners into Italian society. By way of introduction, it was noted that, over the years, the number of foreign nationals permanently residing in Italy has grown steadily and is set to continue to rise, as will the number of immigrants acquiring Italian citizenship. In a very short space of time, Italy’s society has been transformed, in line with what has happened in other countries such as France and the United Kingdom, and can no longer be considered mono-ethnic.

                                  • Rome
                                    • 15 November 2018
                                     
                                     

                                    Making the most of Italy’s energy resources

                                      Discussions at this roundtable kicked off with the observation that global economic growth, which has been particularly strong over the past year, has brought with it well-known benefits in terms of development (helping to combat extreme poverty, for instance), yet it has also marked a reversal in the trend of CO2 atmospheric emissions, which, after having stabilized for a three-year period, are rising again at a rate of around 1.5%. This once again poses the question of what measures are needed to decouple growth from emissions.