Italia Innovation

01/08/2024

THE ITALY WE SEE: ITALIA INNOVATION NEW MANIFESTO

This is the Italy we see. A country whose beauty deserves to be open and shared, a place that connects with the memories and dreams of many, and where new journeys are just waiting to begin.

For the past 10 years, Italia Innovation has been committed to connecting the research interests of international scholars with the innovation needs and opportunities of local brands and communities.

With this video, we renew our purpose and celebrate the place and culture that continue to inspire our future.

Join us to pave new ways forward.

27/07/2024

The third and final week of the 2024 Italia Innovation Program began with a couple of site visits: Treviso, where we visited the studios and , and Como, where we toured the factory. At Benetton, after a tour of the studios and an inspiring conversation about Benetton’s pioneering activist approach to advertising and communication between , senior staff writer at , and Carlo Tunioli, former CEO of Benetton USA and now CEO of Fabrica, we spent the afternoon in the architectural landmark designed by the Japanese architect Tadao Ando. There, we attended the first leadership lecture by John Paul Rollert, adjunct professor at .

On Tuesday, we headed to Como, where the Ratti factory and foundation are headquartered, to meet with the company’s innovation board and discuss the initial research findings of our class. After a quick stop in downtown Milan, we returned to our campus in the Berici Hills to focus, under the guidance of Professor Danny Warshay, Executive Director of the Nelson Center for Entrepreneurship at , on the final presentations that the class discussed on Friday, the 19th.

During the last 24 hours of the program, we also celebrated the unique architectural heritage of Vicenza, the city where our program has been headquartered this year, with an unforgettable farewell dinner on the terrace of the Basilica Palladiana.

This year’s program continued to evolve from a solution-based innovation relationship with our local stakeholders to a more insightful, conversation-driven exchange. With increased effort in logistical organization and nationwide operations, Italia Innovation is strengthening its position as an international point of reference in the academic and business conversation about the future of Italy in the world. Welcome to the next 10 years of the Italia Innovation Program!

24/07/2024

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Dall'ecosistema tonico di Technogym alla strategia di valorizzazione del territorio di Pasta Mancini fino al branding sostenibile di Poltrona Frau. Carlotta Borruto e Marco Mari proseguono il viaggio in Italia con trenta ricercatori da tutto il mondo per capire come le aziende affrontano le sfide e....

22/07/2024

Last Thursday and Friday marked the 2024 Italia Innovation Program Finale.

The fellows teamed up in eight groups to wrap up the research questions we explored during our nationwide journey. Their findings have been honed and refined thanks to the multidisciplinary expertise of faculty members and mentors like Danny Warshay and Debra Herman from , John Paul Rollert from , , Senior Staff Writer at , and Alexandra Fattal, former Milan editor at and now partner at Loyal VC.

The finale unfolded into a two-day event.

First, we were hosted at the Loggia del Capitaniato of the Città di Vicenza, home of the city council, where we shared our final considerations on local development with the former Mayor of Pittsburgh, Bill Peduto.

We then crossed the magnificent Piazza dei Signori for an unforgettable farewell dinner with the class, faculty members, and representatives from all the companies and institutions that made our three-week field research journey possible: , , .nardini, , , , , and the cities of Vicenza and Valdagno.

There was no better way to get ready for our final morning, when back at our campus on the Berici Hills, our teams shared their insights.

19/07/2024

Last night, we immersed ourselves in Vicenza’s Palladianism, hosting the 2024 Italia Innovation Program's final conversation about local development inside the Loggia del Capitaniato and celebrating our farewell dinner on the breathtaking terrace of the Basilica Palladiana.
Vicenza, along with its surrounding Colli Berici, has been the main host city for this year’s program. It is a very special place where a particular idea of the Renaissance still inspires many excellences of the Italian economy and society.
Thank you, Vicenza, until next time!

17/07/2024

The second week of the 2024 Italia Innovation Program started in the Marche region, where we visited the integrated system of wheat fields and the pasta factory of . We then continued our journey to , where their CEO, Nicola Coropulis, joined Professor Peter Boatwright of for a conversation on branding and sustainability.

After such an insightful kick-off, we moved back to the province of Vicenza. After a mid-program review led by .illy, we engaged with local stakeholders in Valdagno and Vicenza to discuss their local development. This session was led by Amy Goldstein, author of the 2017 FT Business Book of the Year, ‘Janesville,’ staff writer for 30 years at the , and recipient of the Pulitzer Prize in 2002, and Hon. , Distinguished Executive in Residence at the Heinz College at and Mayor of Pittsburgh from 2014 to 2022.

They led our class during a well-attended town hall with the citizens of Valdagno, as well as during a heartfelt conversation with the Mayor of Vicenza, . It was a very dense week, during which we gained a deep understanding of how local productions and social development are intricately intertwined.

13/07/2024

This week, we briefly paused our Italy’s Grand Tour with a local development lab. We were joined by two distinguished faculty members: Amy Goldstein, author of the 2017 FT Business Book of the Year ‘Janesville,’ staff writer for 30 years at the Washington Post, and recipient of the Pulitzer Prize in 2002; and Hon. Bill Peduto, Distinguished Executive in Residence at the Heinz College at Carnegie Mellon University and Mayor of Pittsburgh from 2014 to 2022.

Goldstein and Peduto led us through meaningful and insightful conversations during our visits to Valdagno and Vicenza. In Valdagno, we learned how the industrial and welfare heritage established by the Marzotto family has evolved into a shared entrepreneurial culture, becoming a pivotal force for new community development. As Hon. Peduto remarked during a town hall meeting with 100 local citizens, “Keep believing in your city. Cities can be bombed, their economic heart could be ripped out, but they will always come back. You should look at yourself in the long term, not be distracted by shortcomings. You have the things that make you unique. Build on top of that.”

The lab continued in Vicenza, where we toured the new Parco della Pace, which is set to become one of the largest urban parks in Europe. We also had a special meeting with the Mayor of Vicenza, Giacomo Possamai, who shared the story of his remarkable campaign last year and his vision for the city.

This inspiring conclusion marked the end of the second week of the 2024 Italia Innovation Program.

09/07/2024

Celebrating Italy’s Regional Diversity

During the first week of the 2024 Italia Innovation Program, we enjoyed exploring Italy’s regional diversity, being exposed to the rich tapestry of Marche and Campania manufacturing, cultural, and food breakthroughs, vision, and tradition. Here’s a glimpse of the breathtaking landscapes we’ve been immersed in over the last few days.

08/07/2024

The first week of the 2024 Italia Innovation Program took us through four different Italian regions, exploring from North to South, and visiting the headquarters of .nardini, , and .
We also immersed ourselves in Mediterranean thought related to food, thanks to the outstanding experiences at and .
In the middle of the week, we enjoyed an unforgettable conversation with President Romano Prodi and Bill Emmott. As we approach the halfway point of our program, it’s nice to recap some memories of this rich start.

07/07/2024

Standing on the shoulders of giants.

As researchers, we’ve always been eager to base our ventures on the vision and experience of those who have opened new ways forward.

In his remarkable career, President Romano Prodi has been not only an accomplished politician but also an academic thought leader, pioneering the field of industrial economics. A transformative conversation: this is what we Italia Innovation are always looking for, and what President Prodi led us through.

Leading through change requires cultural openness before vision—a lesson that will stay near and dear to our hearts for a long time to come.

04/07/2024

Yesterday was a memorable day at .
Together with the 2024 Class of Italia Innovation Fellows, we welcomed former Prime Minister and President of the European Commission Romano Prodi and former Editor in Chief of The Economist Bill Emmott in Bologna for a conversation on Italy’s global positioning, from both industrial and political perspectives. We gained unique insights from President Prodi’s academic and political experience and Bill Emmott’s sharp global perspective.

07.03.24 - Bologna
Italy: A View From the Foothills

04/07/2024

Field Research, Made by Italy

Italia Innovation has always been about being in the field. As both our programs and research continue to grow, we’ve also been working to refine the way our journey experiences are crafted. Over the next three weeks, the 2024 Class of the Italia Innovation Program will be traveling from Northern to Southern Italy, exploring the diverse social and economic landscapes offered by the case studies of companies like Technogym, Marchesi Frescobaldi and Ornellaia, UNITED COLORS OF BENETTON, Poltrona Frau, Ratti, Pasta Mancini, Distilleria Nardini 1779, and the cities of Vicenza and Valdagno.