An Auditorium packed with over 300 middle- and high-school students from Milan welcomed Maestro Salvatore Accardo, his Orchestra da Camera Italiana, and Pirelli engineers, who all came together on stage to illustrate the close bond between art and science.

The event, Bach: Music and Science in the Factory, opened with a video with the vice chairman of Pirelli, Marco Tronchetti Provera, who talked to the students about the historic dialogue between the company and the world of the arts. He pointed out how liberal culture leads us to reflect on our roots, on our history, on interpersonal relationships, and on how this makes for open minds, far removed from any form of discrimination. Maestro Salvatore Accardo and Maestro Laura Gorna, first violinist of the Orchestra, accompanied the students in listening to the Concerto for Two Violins in D minor, BWV 1043, by Johann Sebastian Bach, an artist who, more than anyone, expressed the relationship with mathematics in his music. The students then heard the executive vice president of Pirelli, Maurizio Boiocchi, who explained how important it is for a company like Pirelli, which strives to be innovative and competitive, to create a continuous synergy between technical skills and creativity. Emanuele Schiavon, a young automation engineer at Pirelli, showed the students how the study of sounds and frequencies is a key element also in tyre manufacturing, in order to obtain high-performance, top-quality products. After a performance of Pablo de Sarasate’s Navarra Op. 33, the young people asked the artists a series of questions about the world of music and musical education. “It was really exciting”, said a student from the Quintino di Vona school, “because they gave us a much better idea about music and musical instruments and they showed us what music means for them and what it might also mean for us in future.”

This piece appeared in Officina della Storia and illustrates how the history of a company can be written and told even without a substantial archive

Every company has a story to tell. Countless stories of men and women with something to say, experiences to share, as well as individual and shared accomplishments to be appreciated. There are also failures, which provide valuable lessons for all. It’s important to find ways to enable each company to tell their story, which is not always an easy task. Storytelling requires a strong sensitivity and the utmost attention to detail. Read ‘L’archivio ritrovato: le memorie di una impresa familiare nelle immagini di un archivio audiovisivo’ (‘the rediscovered archive: the memories of a family business in the pictures of an audiovisual archive’), an article by Alessandra Tomasetti that recently appeared in Officina della Storia, a valuable resource for understanding the process through a real story of a business and its experience.

The article aims to address the topic of company history (and what makes it unique), with regards to small or medium companies that are particularly rooted in their local area and aim to capitalise on their heritage. Heritage meaning the synthesis of the cultural legacy made up of their identity, history and values. This situation is prevalent in manufacturing companies. It is even more common among companies that lack a company archive from which to gather historical information. Tomasetti explains how it is possible to create a narrative that is representative of the business and its story through alternative sources even without access to a plentiful archive. To better explain, Tomasetti uses the case of Artisiana Dolciumi CDS which has been operating in Rome’s Africano district since 1962 and whose history is told by drawing on items provided by the family as well as from audiovisual archives of the Istituto LUCE.

The article by Alessandra Tomasetti is a straight-forward example of telling the story and history of a company starting from materials already available. Written in a concise and clear way, Tomasetti’s work should be read and kept for future reference.

L’archivio ritrovato: le memorie di una impresa familiare nelle immagini di un archivio audiovisivo
Alessandra Tomasetti
Officina della Storia, September 2019

Download PDF

Industry 4.0 as seen through the eyes of a philosopher, in order to better understand the freedoms and limitations of factories and business

Good work is an integral part of a strong corporate culture. And on the other hand, in every strong business, quality work is (in every sense) a priority. This is true even today, in a time of digitalisation of manufacturing and industry 4.0, and (apparent) de-materialisation of many production processes. It is necessary to rethink and revise the very idea of work (just as it is imperative, on the other hand, to constantly review business paradigms). On this point, one might read the recently published article ‘Libertà nel lavoro. La sfida della rivoluzione digitale’ (‘freedom at work: the challenge of the digital revolution’), by Giovanni Mari.

Mari addresses the theme of work and its evolution, drawing on his background in philosophy; this is what makes his writing unique.

The author begins by stating that our general idea of work has always been based on the contrast between manual work and intellectual work. This dichotomy is now seemingly obsolete due to the transformation of work in digitalised factories, and industry 4.0 in general. We are faced with a job Mari defines in a linguistic sense, as a set of instructions given to machines that carry out the production. It is therefore new industry, as well as new business; both can give birth to work that is different from the way things were done the past, and creates a different link between time at work and leisure time. Mari does not stop there. He wonders if it will be possible in an era where ‘work has ended’ (in which robots have taken on a substantial role), to put the concept of personal self-realisation in the workplace at the centre of the discussion.

The author’s response is positive: a new way of thinking about work, both high in quality and chosen by those doing it, can really be put into practice and take on the characteristics of an act of freedom. That is, provided that there is knowledge, creativity and responsibility intertwined in the workplace and in the company culture.

Giovanni Mari’s book is interesting to read, not only because it deals with a topic that concern all of us, but also because it uses language that is straightforward and extremely accessible to the reader.

Libertà nel lavoro. La sfida della rivoluzione digitale
Giovanni Mari
Il Mulino, 2019

“Italy’s blighted steel town creates crisis for government,” read The Financial Times on 22 November, in the middle of the Ilva debacle, a heady brew of industrial crisis, political confusion, environmental fears and legal initiatives. Indeed, Europe’s largest steel plant was already poisoning the political landscape. The most widely read international economic daily summarised the situation quite concisely: faced with a severe problem, concerning tens of thousands of jobs and production essential to the efficiency and productivity of Italy, a country whose industrial strength lies precisely in its mechanical industry, the government and political forces were at a loss what to do, bungling between jobs and the environment, changing the rules in the middle of the race, bickering for the sake of propaganda. All this had serious consequences on growth, international investment and the well-being of the whole country.

Ilva in Taranto is just the latest, most clamorous and devastating of the severe crises hitting our industrial sector. It comes at an especially delicate time, when Italy’s growth lags behind that of all other EU countries and is suffering the effects of the USA-China trade war (with its heavy repercussions on Europe). This is coupled with problems throughout the automotive sector, in a strenuous transition towards new, more sustainable conditions for mobility.

Desks at the Ministry of Economic Development are heaped with some 170 cases of companies in crisis, from Alitalia to Whirlpool and many others, with less media impact but just as dramatic for the future of workers, their families and local areas. And not one of them has found a solution. Furthermore, it was Luigi Di Maio, holding this portfolio during the government with the League, who gutted the ministry of its professional skills and expertise, at the same time as managing to destabilise the state’s finances with his basic income hand-outs.

The economic climate is plagued by difficulties. Industrial production this year has registered a 2% drop, with worrisome signs from even the strongest industrial zones, like Brescia, Bergamo, Milan and Piedmont. And not even in the new government contexts can clear indications be found for a way out of the situation. Ilva and Alitalia are the most noticeable cases of absolute confusion in ideas. They confirm the risks posed by allowing an anti-industry and anti-technology culture to flourish, most notably within the Five Star Movement, where there is a widespread temptation to respond to the crises with the worst possible solution: state intervention, ‘salvation’ at the expense of the nation’s wallets.

‘It scares me to see a strong anti-industrial sentiment returning to Italy. But if all other countries are asking our entrepreneurs to invest in their industries, how can it be that our own government fails to understand our value and support us?’ argued Carlo Bonomi, president of Assolombarda, during a debate organised by Il Foglio last weekend in Florence. ‘Industry is slowing down, but politicians are looking elsewhere,’ from real crises to failed reforms, noted Valerio Castronovo, a renowned historian of economics, in IlSole24Ore. ‘In the grip of industrial decline,’ was the view of experienced economist Mario Deaglio, in La Stampa. In spite of everything, we are still Europe’s number two manufacturing power, after Germany. But there is a growing risk that France will overtake us. The negative impact would be felt at several economic levels, starting from the ability to attract international investments and the possibility to convince the best of our young people to stay, when they are tempted to seek better work and living conditions elsewhere.

Are we to be condemned to decline too, because of political incompetence and indecisiveness, along with forms of populism born of ‘unfortunate degrowth’? Let’s hope not. And yet we are moving in this direction. There is a strong reaction, precisely from the broad world of companies, in their relation with society, the industrial regions and schools. A clear position is taking shape in the various industrial and employment sectors to re-establish the conditions for competitiveness, productivity and development.

Proof can also found in the growing success of some initiatives that again this year, precisely in November, are meeting with heightened interest and participation. These include the ‘Settimana della cultura d’impresa’ (‘corporate culture week’) organised by Museimpresa and Confindustria, ‘Pmi day’ (‘SME day’) promoted by Confindustria’s small industry section (1,300 factories opened to 46,000 young Italian people), and the ‘OpenFactory’ events by ItalyPost. Corriere della Sera’s ‘L’Economia’ saw 50 sites opened to the public on Sunday 24 November, visited by over 20,000 people from Emilia to Lombardy, from the Veneto (home to the internationally renowned Carraro in Campodarsego, which manufactures high-tech components for tractors, an example of Made in Italy excellence) to Friuli, along with other regions of central Italy. The regional government of Piedmont also organised ‘Fabbriche aperte’ (‘open factories’) in early November, where over 8,000 people visited 120 companies (particularly successful were those in the agri-food sector). The municipal council of Milan is also hosting ‘Manifatture Aperte’ (‘open manufacturers’) in the last weekend of November to highlight ‘the return of manufacturing to the city.’ A melting pot of popular attention for our firms and their role as key actors in development. They represent industrial tradition, digital economy innovation, and expertise from craftsmen and machines. All are linked by one basic idea: to relaunch the school-work connection, convince our youth, show them concrete examples of the ‘beautiful factory’, one that is efficient, sustainable, safe, inclusive and an ideal place for work, professional dignity, knowledge and a future.

A dynamic notion of Italy is alive in the country’s industrial areas, in territories accustomed to producing, exporting and building development. It is an idea to defend and protect from the misgovernment of the crises, something to help thrive. Indeed, this Italy does not deserve decline. Those who govern the country and who, in parliament, make the laws (often ill conceived, to the detriment of industry, and badly written) should seriously bear this in mind.

The example of Museum Ritter in Waldenbuch is another chapter in the story of the well-rounded culture of production

This is the story of firms that give life to cultural spaces seen not only as tools in describing their activities, but also, and in some cases almost exclusively, as the expression of a culture of production woven into the business activity but opening onto much more. The examples abound, all united by the common thread of inspiration. At the same time, each is distinguished by the specific characteristics of the business that generated it. It is always good to learn about the history, development and current situation of these places. One story well worth reading is “Il Museo Ritter di Waldenbuch, Baden-Wurtemberg”, (Museum Ritter of Waldenbuch, Baden-Wurtemberg), an essay by Federica Maria Chiara Santagati (Università degli Studi di Catania) recently published in Mantua Humanistic Studies.

The study is a detailed description of the history and organisation of Museum Ritter, founded as home to the art collection of Marli Hoppe-Ritter, co-owner of Ritter Sport, in the chocolate industry since 1912.

Santagati’s work first describes the origin (somewhat recent) of Marli Hoppe-Ritter’s art collection before discussing the criteria with which it was built. The author then delves into the museum’s organisation (which also makes room for a series of learning activities) along with features of the building that houses the collection. It is precisely the context of the building itself that brings forth, with fitting restraint, the business origin of it all: next to the spaces created for the art collection, a company museum has also been built, dedicated more specifically to Ritter Sport and its business. Santagati then analyses the museum’s financing mechanism, based on the Marli Hoppe-Ritter-Stiftung zur Förderung der Kunst, a foundation linked to the firm, yet with project and operating autonomy. Each passage is amply illustrated by images.

Federica Maria Chiara Santagati’s research is interesting to read because it provides one more piece in a vast composition describing the multiple activities that illustrate corporate culture. The text is easy to read because it is well written.

Il Museo Ritter di Waldenbuch, Baden-Wurtemberg (Museum Ritter of Waldenbuch, Baden-Wurtemberg)
Federica Maria Chiara Santagati
in Mantua Humanistic Studies. Volume VI, 2019

The latest book by Giulio Sapelli explores the past, present and future of production organisations, in an original interpretation

The corporate universe is variegated, yet shares common features. Their responses concern not only history but also the present, looking towards a future that each day becomes increasingly complex. Anyone who thinks about corporate culture, its changing nature and the forms that individual production organisations may assume, must also be able to picture the evolution of production systems in a long view, one that also provides an image of what is happening in the here and now. This two-way view can be found in Giulio Sapelli’s most recent literary effort ‘Perché esistono le imprese e come sono fatte‘ (Why companies exist and how are they made).

In a work that is not simple or easy reading, Sapelli’s writing is nevertheless stimulating and often provocative. Something to be read, in other words.

It is the author’s reasoning that in recent years companies have encountered and are still going through a period of deep crisis, due to mutations in the global balance, which they have been able to confront by making use of a great capacity for resilience, adaptation and transformation. For Sapelli, in order to better grasp what has happened and what is happening we must go back in time to ponder what has taken place, using all the tools of knowledge provided by history, economy and sociology. This is what Sapelli has done in a dense work that opens with small businesses, moves on to public undertakings and then explores large private corporations and cooperatives, composing a planetary view of a company that is ‘beyond the nation’. The author thus touches on crucial points such as the question of organisation, work and citizenship as references for production.

‘Perché esistono le imprese e come sono fatte‘ (Why companies exist and how are they made) is the re-edition and remaking of a book first published twenty years ago. Not all readers will agree or be in tune with its contents, rich in references and quotes (which often need to be kept at hand to understand their utility and meaning). The text is a long climb of well articulated and fascinating reasoning, yet nevertheless a climb. The author writes: ‘The polyphony of forms taken by the company and good governance are the cultural and moral beams that sustain the possibility to keep building the future, thanks to the diversity of corporate forms socially transformed and the power of individual subjectivity.’

Perché esistono le imprese e come sono fatte (Why companies exist and how are they made)
Giulio Sapelli
Guerini, 2019

What happens every day in Milan? 16 November, a Saturday, the news is about the thousand trees that were planted in one week (target: three million by 2030), while at the same time the fourth building of the large CityLife complex was inaugurated. A concave, crescent-shaped construction with an arcade, almost an elegant entrance to the three skyscrapers: the Storto (twisted) designed by Zaha Hadid, the Curvo (curved) by Daniel Libeskind and the Dritto (straight) by Arata Isozaki. It is avant-garde urban planning and a modern testimony to the Città che sale (The city rises), depicted by the painter Umberto Boccioni in the early 20th century.

The previous day, on Friday, two pages of Il Sole24Ore newspaper were dedicated to “Digital humanism, alliances and territories”, projects that the Politecnico di Milano (one of the twenty best technical universities in the world) is working on to reinforce its training, research, and “service to business” activities. One does not “plan the past” there, argues the controversial rector Ferruccio Resta, but prepares for the future.

What about Sunday? Happiness abounds for the success of BookCity, more than 1,500 meetings in 250 locations throughout Milan (bookstores, libraries, theatres, foundations, schools but also private homes for poetry readings) among writers and readers, a triumph of the well-written, well-published, and well-spoken word.

Monday saw the news that the number of new residents has boomed to over 500,000 people in ten years (while 357,000 left the city): people come and people go, such intense economic and social dynamics.

Flipping through the newspapers over three days, detailed accounts of mobility, change, and bustle are found. It is all very dynamic and productive. It is all very Milanese, and indeed “Milanesi si diventa” (People become, rather than are born, Milanese), stealing the title of a fascinating novel from 1991 by Carlo Castellaneta. And so on, talking about the values of Milan, of Milan the locomotive, the beauty of Milan, Milan as a model, so much so that the city starts sounding a bit snooty, a bit “teacher’s pet”, a bit unpleasant. So much so that Sicilian minister Giuseppe Provenzano, during a debate organised by the Huffington Post in Milan (where, as everyone knows, people not only work hard but also debate hard) stated that “a moat has been dug around Milan: its centrality, its importance, its modernity, and its ability to play a leading role in international relations without giving almost nothing back to Italy ”. Il Messaggero (a very Roman newspaper) reiterated the criticism, writing that “Milan drinks alone” and “travels at twice the speed of the rest of the country, cannibalising resources and talent”. Milan as a cannibal is a terrible image.

These controversies are not new, of course. Far from it: they widely reverberated, a few years ago, during an animated debate on the pages of the highly respected magazine Il Mulino, with rough criticism from the Apulian economist Gianfranco Viesti, now back in the limelight among the critics of Milan). And it is worth considering it because due to the stagnant Italian economy, the widening distance between North and South, the increasing inequalities (not only geographical but also social, generational and cultural), the dynamism of the Great Milan raises real questions in terms of politics and government, of the financial and social players of the whole country, starting indeed with the most responsible and sensitive citizens of Milan.

These tensions echo in an intriguing and ironic way (maybe also melancholically, as irony usually is, at least a bit) throughout a long, interesting piece on Il Foglio newspaper of Monday 18th, written by Michele Masneri, from Brescia, whose life was mainly spent commuting “on the Frecciarossa train between Rome and Milan” and aptly titled “Contro Milano” (Against Milan). Here is a summary: “Milan is a city state, a happy emirate, but today it is also a bubble within which a dark evil is rising: the deceit of a new anthropological superiority. Politics, stories and moral activism from the public prosecutor’s office. A due process, envy aside”. And a sarcastic passage: “Accustomed to an absence of teasing, the Milanese inhabitant is stressed, efficient and never subdued. The new bauscia (Milanese slang for “local snob”) are eco-friendly, feminist, equipped with water bottle and the perennial airpods hanging from their ears like a pharaoh’s jewels. Checking that lighting and captions of their Instagram posts are just right. Telling you about their projects, their ideas, their start-ups “.

Masneri on the Foglio is a must-read. For fun, maybe to recognise a little bit of oneself in it and to have the chance to think critically for a while. But immediately remembering that irony about Milan and its inhabitants’ obsessions was reawakened some time ago, in Milan and by a local, with the caricature of “Il Milanese Imbruttito” (The ugly Milanese). Here, we work. And we smile.

We smile. However, there is no hiding the fact that among the skyscrapers designed by world famous architects, the Design and Fashion weeks and the affluent suburbs, emerges a dark, violent and criminal soul to be reckoned with. It is what news reports say, alluding to the polluting presence of the ‘ndrangheta, the mafia group from Calabria. Witness to this, with extraordinary strength of analysis and narration, the crime fiction books by writers who are very aware of the darkness of the Milanese heart and its narcotics, such as Alessandro Robecchi, Sandrone Dazieri with his neurotic character named Gorilla, Gianni Biondillo and Piero Colaprico. Just to name a few names, all well aware of the lessons learned from the pages of Giorgio Scerbanenco, that remain current to this day. Milan is much more and much worse than a simple showcase of successes.

The shadows, then. But also the lights. Of what is good in Milan.

Indeed, there is no single and straightforward narrative for this metropolis. If anything, there is widespread awareness about the positive changes and transformations that happened over time, with a living memory of the efforts and commitment it took to get past the Years of Lead and then to overcome the humiliation and scars inflicted by the tangentopoli scandal, of a decline that seemed inexorable. Initiative, enterprise, and participation. And good governance, all things considered, with the ability to ensure administrative continuity when varying the mandates of four very different mayors, also in terms of politics (Gabriele Albertini, Letizia Moratti, Giuliano Pisapia and Beppe Sala), yet similar in their strategic ambition to build a promising future for Milan and the Milanese.

The data by Osservatorio Milano, project supported by the Municipality and Assolombarda (www.osservatoriomilanoscoreboard.it) shows that the growth of the Milanese GDP between 2014 and 2018 was 9.7%, twice the national one of 4.6%, with 49,000 GDP per capita, compared to the 26,000 of the national average (we talked about this in last week’s blog). Most of the Italian multinationals are based in Milan, there are excellent universities crowded with foreign students, research centres holding the record for national patents, a long line of dynamic start-ups, and everything that is innovation, current issues, but also quality of life and solidarity. An agglomeration economy which attracts new financial and human resources right where resources are already concentrated. Competitiveness and sustainability, in a blend that is certainly imperfect but nevertheless dynamic.

Is Milan a good example? Wishing not to sound arrogant when considering itself a model, the suggestion to other Italian cities is not to “be like Milan”, but to at least take into account the good practices of the Lombardy region. Among them, a true collaboration between the public and private sectors, the commitment to “do, do well, and do well unto others”, the sense of responsibility in thinking ambitiously and for the future, the attempt to develop businesses but also to not forget a duty of acceptance and inclusion.

Inequalities remain, they are strong and growing. And this is reiterated by the Milan Assolombarda Osservatorio Milano. Milanese business women and men are convinced that a growing financial disparity is not good for companies or for the financial and social development of the city.

Solidarity, then, becomes a strategic choice. And environmental and social sustainability become a civic direction. Local institutions such as the Assolombarda and other business associations, as well as the Milanese Church, are the leaders, with a strong capacity for dialogue and debate.

In other words, Milan goes forward. Other areas less so or, even, they move backwards. Is it Milan’s fault? “It is a terrible idea to impoverish Milan”, writes Il Foglio, as if restraining the European metropolis could overturn the conditions of Rome and the South. “Foreign companies here feel reassured because the system works,” says Mayor Sala. “We Neapolitans went to Milan because it is easier to do business there”, was the comment of three businessmen to Il Mattino, a proudly Neapolitan newspaper. The three interviewed were the former president of the Industrialists’ Association Gianni Lettieri, hi-tech services for air transport; Ambrogio Prezioso, real estates; and Vincenzo Politelli, food services.

So then? Once the days of hot controversy are over, the Milanese remain aware that they cannot go it alone, but also that to pursue development as a selfish city-state, perceived as hostile by the rest of Italy, right or wrong as it may be, is not feasible. And it is precisely minister Provenzano, in an article in the Corriere della Sera newspaper, who rearranges the opinions regarding the “too many territorial differences”, without succumbing to the temptation to “harp on the usual issue of local oppositions”. The “cohesion policies that help build bridges are also useful to an already strong city like Milan”. And if it is true that “the moat” between large centres and smaller towns “should not be filled by Milan” but by “national policy”, it is equally true that “these issues also concern the Milanese, who are rightly proud of their city”.

The events put on by the Pirelli Foundation for the XVIII Settimana della Cultura d’Impresa (18th Corporate Culture Week) included Il nostro Bach. La fabbrica tra musica e scienza. Designed for secondary schools, it will illustrate the close bond between art and science.

On 21 November at the Auditorium of the Pirelli Headquarters, together with maestro Salvatore Accardo and engineers from Pirelli Research and Development, we will talk about images, sounds, formulas, calculations, and words to explore the scientific, technical, and liberal culture that is a feature of the world of production and industry.

During the event, the Orchestra da Camera Italiana, with Maestro Salvatore Accardo, will perform the Concerto for Two Violins in D minor, BWV 1043, by Johann Sebastian Bach, an artist who, more than anyone, expressed the relationship between music and mathematics, and Navarra, Op. 33, by Pablo de Sarasate.

The students will be accompanied through the music, exploring themes linked to the underlying mathematical spirit common to both music and the factory, which is needed for building and representing structures of sounds and rhythms, but also for bringing to life production systems that are increasingly technological and innovative.

Pirelli’s relationship with music goes back a long way: from the performance by John Cage at the Pirelli Cultural Centre in the 1950s to the Il Canto della Fabbrica project, which was composed in 2017 by Maestro Francesco Fiore, using the sounds and rhythms of the Industrial Centre in ​​Settimo Torinese to represent in music the contemporary nature of a lean, highly sophisticated factory, whose rhythms are also those of our future. In the past few weeks, Maestro Fiore has also taken part in La fabbrica raccontata dagli artisti, a course, devised by Pirelli Foundation Educational for a group of lower-secondary school students, that illustrates his experience as a modern-day bard of the factory.

Research by the Bruno Leoni Institute looks at the potential role of multinationals in helping local businesses

Can business respect local roots and serve international markets at the same time? Finding a balance between globalised and local business is not easy, and yet the paradigm is perhaps one of the most promising paths to growth and development. Many have tried to do it, often successfully, although the issue is complex and multi-faceted and cannot be boiled down to one technical process. Recently published research by Ornella Darova (a PhD student at the University of Pennsylvania), conducted for the Bruno Leoni Institute, is a good source for better understanding the highly varied relationships between local production and global markets.

‘E se le multinazionali fossero i migliori promotori del made in Italy?’ (‘what if multinationals are the best promoters for Made in Italy?’), analyses the role of multinationals in Italy from the point of views of their focus (current and potentially greater) on high-quality manufacturing in the country. After drawing an up-to-date picture of the economic performance of multinationals and the general situation in Italy, Darova lists and examines a series of case studies on multinationals that have begun to capitalise on strictly Italian raw materials and products. These include McDonald’s and its attention to some traditional Italian products, Grom and its acquisition by Unilever, Sperlari sweets and their re-brand by the Cloetta group, Fanta and Coca-Cola’s gamble on Italian oranges, Alibaba’s Made in Italy project HelloITAT, and Findus. For each case, the current history and situation are analysed, highlighting the positive role of the presence of a multinational company alongside local companies.

The author writes in her conclusion: ‘Multinationals can play the role of facilitators for the inclusion of Italian companies in global value chains.’ She goes on: ‘The possibility of creating strategic, cutting-edge, growing entrepreneurial ecosystems depends on the ability of existing players in local areas to open up to the global market and to look to the future by imagining ways of promoting local excellence that are not limited in scope but have a view to international prospects. It is counterproductive, then, to take a defensive position and look at multinationals only as a threat. It is far more advantageous to forge collaborative relationships that represent an opportunity for profit for both sides.’ Above all the culture of production must change, on both sides.

E se le multinazionali fossero i migliori promotori del made in Italy?
Ornella Darova
IBL – Istituto Bruno Leoni, Briefing Paper, October 2019

Download PDF