Medical engineers have a unique combination of different skills. They can bridge the gap between anatomy and sophisticated technological machinery, paying close attention to health and using all digital tools for diagnosis, therapy and health prevention. In short, they understand the extraordinary, complex and fragile creation that is the human body in depth and can use the possibilities offered by artificial intelligence to their advantage. Last week, the first 37 students graduated from the interdisciplinary Medtec School course, founded six years ago in collaboration with Humanitas University and the Polytechnic University (Corriere della Sera, 3 July). The city thus confirms one of its defining characteristics:  to be at the forefront of high-level training and an international point of reference for Life Sciences. It is a cultural centre for experimentation, cross-fertilisation and the synthesis of different types of knowledge along the new high-tech frontiers — a polytechnic metropolis.

Donatella Sciuto, rector of the Polytechnic, said: ‘The convergence between Medicine and Engineering is a driver of economic and social development on a global scale, and it originated in Italy. And we hope that new graduates will choose to specialise here and work in hospitals and companies in Italy.’ And Luigi Maria Terracciano, rector of Humanitas University: ‘Our goal is to train professionals who can manage technological evolution in the medical field while maintaining a human perspective and a relationship with patients. This is a university experience offering significant opportunities in both the hospital sector and advanced research.’

Today, the Medtec School has 389 students, 58% of whom are female. The school has a strong international appeal, with 17% of students coming from abroad, particularly from France, Greece and Turkey. This year there will be 42 graduates in total. The courses are naturally taught in English and take place at the Polytechnic and Humanitas University in alternating semesters. They also benefit from the extensive network of relationships that the two universities have with professors and researchers from leading universities and research centres around the world. This is proof of the advantages of a critical, dialectical scientific culture that is open to innovation and sensitive to stimuli for change.

In history and in the controversial contemporary age, this is precisely a fundamental characteristic of Milan, now the main Italian university city with over 220,000 students at a dozen or so universities (which are consistently ranked among the most prestigious internationally) and higher education institutions specialising in design and fashion. Those who welcome others (however demanding, severe or productive) know how to stimulate growth, balancing competitiveness and social inclusion, citizenship and enterprise, the market and welfare. Even if these attitudes are experiencing a period of crisis today due to underlying trends such as many superficial city users and a growing number of people experiencing housing and living cost difficulties, we still hear frequent criticisms and self-criticisms regarding the transformation of ‘Milaneseness’ (Milan is the Italian city most inclined to discuss itself). Nevertheless, it is precisely here that cultures, economic and social phenomena and processes that anticipate and structure ways of being, working and producing continue to be born and mature, thereby influencing other areas of Greater Milan, Italy and the most dynamic and productive part of Europe. Milan is an open metropolis where relationships and cross-pollination of ideas are the norm.

Moreover, it was in Milan that the foundations of the ‘polytechnic culture’ were laid, becoming widespread among its companies and cultural and educational centres. This culture had solid foundations in the nineteenth century with figures such as Carlo Cattaneo, and underwent frequent transformations in the fertile years of the early twentieth century, such as the 1906 Universal Exhibition. Then, during the economic boom and dynamic corporate magazines of Pirelli, Olivetti, Eni and Finmeccanica, it was a testament to a fruitful ‘machine civilisation’. Finally, it was evident in the restless contemporary transition of the century and millennium (‘We are astonished’, as the caustic wit Enzo Sellerio would have ironically commented).

Here, in the rooms of Assolombarda, characterised by Gio Ponti’s architecture, emphasis is placed on the need for greater and better STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) education, to strengthen and relaunch the international competitiveness of businesses. However, an essential addition is also emphasised:  the ‘A’ of arts, or humanistic knowledge and the culture of beauty. This idea was developed and publicised during Gianfelice Rocca’s presidency of Assolombarda (2013–2017) and is now being adopted in various national and European economic circles. Rocca, in fact, is president of Humanitas. Doctor-engineers are proof of this.  Just like the engineer-philosophers that the Polytechnic of Milan and Turin have been promoting for years.

This dimension of ‘polytechnic culture’, also known as ‘industrial humanism’, is expressed today as ‘digital humanism’ (a topic we discussed in last week’s blog). It is also useful for reflecting on the soft power of ‘Made in Italy’. Téchne, or know-how and a taste for beauty, is also understood as a sense of measure, balance and form that expresses quality of function.  This was discussed recently at the UniCredit Territories Forum for Lombardy. Design culture permeates product culture; the objects exhibited at the ADI Design Museum and awarded the ‘Compasso d’Oro’ over the years are clear evidence of this. There is quality production in sectors such as mechanics, mechatronics, aerospace, shipbuilding, rubber and plastics, robotics, automotive, chemicals, pharmaceuticals (Life Sciences, specifically), and the traditional sectors of furniture, clothing, and agri-food.

Innovation, cutting-edge technologies and beauty. This is an inimitable soft power that could be utilised more effectively in international competition thanks to a new and improved national and European industrial policy. This soft power should be valued not only for its productivity, but also for its ability to attract people seeking a better quality of life and work.

The Medtec School, where our discussion began, is a good example of this. Cross-fertilisation to be valued.

Corporate sustainability measures evaluated with the principles of civil economy

Taking into account the company’s environmental impact is a fundamental requirement for almost all productive enterprises in developed economies nowadays. However, this is an requirement that must deal with more than just awareness of the problem. It must also deal with the key principles of production and civil economy. ‘Dare un senso all’agire delle imprese: uno sguardo civile sulla valutazione d’impatto’ (Making sense of business action: a civil perspective on impact assessment) – is research by Sabrina Bonomi, an associate of the business organisation. It attempts to delve deeper into the relationships between the concerns and environmental implications of production organisations’ actions and the dictates of the civil economy, which is seen as the last frontier of good business culture.

In particular, Bonomi investigates the relationship between production techniques and tools that address environmental sustainability issues, and their effect on the surrounding society of the organisation that implements them.

The research emphasises that selecting appropriate tools requires skills in analysing and managing the value created in accordance with the principles of civil economy. To develop operational guidelines, Bonomi first considers the civil economy paradigm, then the role of companies within it and finally techniques for assessing their impact, introducing MindSEC: a verification method based on civil economy principles. This theoretical approach is then ‘proven’ through a series of empirical cases.

In her conclusions, Bonomi writes that the ‘method of impact assessment based on the paradigm of civil economy leads entrepreneurs and managers to choose virtuous behaviours consistent with it, in the interest of the common good as well as their own. Cultural, environmental, social, economic and relational advantages are generated by the ability to engage diverse skills and passions, which guarantee the quality and continuity of the commitment taken and generate others that lead to positive change in the community and environment, which is needed more than ever today’.

Dare un senso all’agire delle imprese: uno sguardo civile sulla valutazione d’impatto

Sabrina Bonomi

ImpresaProgetto. Electronic Journal of management, 2, 2025

Paolo Benanti’s reasoning on AI puts humanity back at the heart of the awareness that we must all have

Human activity versus machines. It is an age-old challenge that, however, seems to be taking on new connotations in recent times with the advent of artificial intelligence in the form of ChatGPT and Large Language Models (LLMs). These new developments are capable of confounding human action itself. So much so that one must question whether these new technologies are truly instruments of progress or of the oppression and subjugation of human nature. These are important questions that everyone should consider, whatever their role. This also applies to businesspeople who may find themselves making use of new technologies.

In light of these issues, a careful reading of the short book by Paolo Benanti — a theologian and innovation expert — is highly recommended.

‘L’uomo è un algoritmo? Il senso dell’umano e l’intelligenza artificiale’ (Is man an algorithm? The sense of the human and artificial intelligence) is an expanded version of the lecture that the author delivered at the University of Camerino upon receiving an honorary doctorate in Computer Science and Mathematics. Above all, however, it is a narrative journey exploring the latest innovations related to human life and action.

The author begins by asking what it means to be human today and recalls the myth of Ulysses, which teaches us that the human search for meaning is guided by intelligence in two forms: νοῦς and μῆτις, intuition and practice. It is from the interaction of these faculties that our species’ great inventions were born, starting with the ‘great invention of language’. However, language no longer seems to be an exclusively human prerogative today. The introduction of a computational language by means of AI that reconfigures speech and thought in new ways seems to call everything into question, either threatening or exalting human action.

Benanti then takes the reader on a brief and evocative ethical journey through the paradox of technology. So how do we avoid being confused and overwhelmed? Moving between information technology, philosophy, and spirituality, he puts forward a simple yet disruptive proposal capable of restoring the centrality of the human dimension. Adopting a ‘humanist bias’ today does not mean rejecting progress, but rather reaffirming its most authentic purpose: to live a good and conscious life with dignity. This can be achieved by making use of AI, which must once again become a tool at our service, promoting full human dignity. This is a challenge that cannot be led or won by individuals, but by the community of individuals.

Paolo Benanti’s book is one to read and reread (as Sebastiano Maffettone, who wrote the foreword, did).  One of the book’s concluding passages is particularly poignant: ‘Human dignity represents the threshold beyond which human coexistence can no longer regress, not even in an era characterised by machines’ remarkable communication capabilities, which offer a fresh perspective on the semantics and meaning of our human condition’.

L’uomo è un algoritmo? Il senso dell’umano e l’intelligenza artificiale

Paolo Benanti

Castelvecchio, 2025

Milan and Pirelli: centres of cultural production and key players in the latest chapter in the “Pirelli, a City and a Vision” series. Documents and testimonies from our Historical Archive trace the story of a company that has long placed the promotion of art and culture at the heart of its policy

From the post-war years to the 1960s, Italy’s major companies were not just hubs of manufacturing for they were also cultural powerhouses. They worked with writers, intellectuals and artists to create business models that would combine scientific and technical expertise with humanistic ideas, while also helping to bring about cultural progress in society. Among these, Pirelli was going through a particularly prolific period of what might be called “industrial humanism”, inspired by the vibrant cultural life of Milan. This was a city that, in those same years, was emerging as an exciting international centre for artists and thinkers.

One year, in particular, stands out as a beacon in this story: 1947. This was the year when the Piccolo Teatro della Città di Milano was founded. It was to be a public theatre “for everyone”, and was the brainchild of Giorgio Strehler, Paolo Grassi and Nina Vinchi with the support of the City of Milan. The year also marked the launch of the Pirelli Cultural Centre, a company club run by Silvestro Severgnini, a friend of Paolo Grassi. Its aim was to offer employees access to music, theatre, the visual arts, cinema and literature.

As Severgnini himself put it in Pirelli magazine no. 1 of 1951, it adopted “a new and pretty successful formula to increase workers’ interest in culture”. The company “provides the means so that its employees, if they feel so inclined, can take part in the liveliest and most vital expressions of knowledge”

A natural partnership was soon formed between the Piccolo Teatro and the Pirelli Cultural Centre, symbolising a common objective adopted by both the city and the company. After all, could a company that now sprawled across a million square metres not be considered as a city in its own right?

“Also the worker shall not live by bread alone,” read a 1947 headline in the company newsletter, which was produced by Pirelli workers in the aftermath of the war. And it continued: “If you wish to calm the workers’ spirits […] you must bring them closer to art, to an art that is intelligible and life-giving […]. A new cultural initiative has been launched under the auspices of the Mayor of Milan in order to achieve this. A low-cost season ticket is all it takes to access this theatre (and our Cultural Centre itself has already signed up to it).”

As the years went by, the Cultural Centre had more and more to offer, and Pirelli forged ties with other cultural institutions in Milan, such as La Scala, the Pomeriggi Musicali, and the Teatro del Popolo. In 1952 the Centre registered 12,495 attendances in the city’s opera and concert season, becoming “a notable presence in the cultural life of the city due to its size “ (Pirelli magazine, La fabbrica è aperta ai movimenti della cultura (“The factory is open to cultural movements”) and, from 1960, it enjoyed a prestigious space of its own. This was the auditorium in the Pirelli Tower, after it abandoned the premises of the “Ritrovo” in the old Brusada factory which escaped the bombings of 1943. This marked the beginning of a new chapter of cultural activities, with concerts, lectures, readings, screenings and presentations with prominent guests, including political and academic personalities, as well as writers, poets, and journalists, such as Italo Calvino, Umberto Eco, Guido Lopez, Salvatore Quasimodo and Mario Soldati.

At the same time, one of the country’s most advanced cultural forums was taking shape within the pages of Pirelli. Rivista d’informazione e di tecnica. Published from 1948 to 1972, generally bi-monthly and available at newsstands, Pirelli magazine bridged the gap between scientific-technical and humanistic culture. Its articles looked at issues concerning industrial production, science and technology alongside reflections on art, architecture, sociology, economics, urbanism and literature. The magazine had a wide range of illustrious contributors: Giulio Carlo Argan, Dino Buzzati, Camilla Cederna, Gillo Dorfles, Arrigo Levi, Eugenio Montale, Fernanda Pivano, Franco Quadri, Alberto Ronchey, Elio Vittorini and dozens of others. Its striking visuals were enriched by splendid photographic essays by masters such as Arno Hammacher, Pepi Merisio, Ugo Mulas, Federico Patellani, Fulvio Roiter, Enzo Sellerio, and illustrations by artists including Renato Guttuso, Riccardo Manzi and Alessandro Mendini.

The legacy of Pirelli magazine is preserved in the volume Industrial Humanism. An Anthology of Thoughts, Words, Images and Innovations, edited by the Pirelli Foundation and published by Mondadori in 2019. All 131 issues, along with a photographic archive comprising 6,000 images—3,500 published and 2,500 unprinted—are now kept in our Historical Archive. The collection includes the very first issue, with an editorial by Alberto Pirelli, who explains the original and authentic purpose of the publication: “This industry uses an enormous variety of materials […] it relies on the most diverse array of machines and tools […] So many ways to contribute to the evolution of modern life […] But if, in this magazine, we may at times allow ourselves to rise a little higher, we shall do so in the belief that every contribution to the mechanised world needs to come about within the broader framework of life’s highest social and cultural values.“

A study of a collection of 19 keywords has been published to help readers better understand the evolution of the economy and society

Technology and so progress, production, growth, development but also exploitation, alienation, control and much more. ‘Technique’ is certainly one of today’s buzzwords, as it conjures up images of human action and thought that seem obvious and unquestionable.  These are scenarios in which humans, as conscious beings, play a role in relation to both history and nature. On the other hand, the Earth has undoubtedly never before been wrapped in a web of technical activity to the extent that no place remains untouched by human transformation. Yet humanity as a whole has never before seemed so unable to direct its actions towards an acceptable and shared goal.  Environmental disaster, war and economic injustice are increasingly prevalent. This is a paradoxical and dramatic situation, given that any solution on the part of humanity — specifically in terms of technical design — seems only capable of accelerating the impending apocalypse. However, technology should be ‘useful’ and not ‘harmful’; it should be a ‘friend’ and not a ‘foe’.

Maurizio Guerri, a lecturer in aesthetics at the Brera Academy, drew inspiration from this set of complex ideas when putting together ‘Le parole della tecnica.  Concetti, ideologie, prospettive’ (The words of technique. Concepts, ideologies, perspectives), a project involving several contributors featuring a collection of 19 words related to technology. According to the editor, this undertaking is based on the possibility of ‘practising a knowledge that is capable of imposing itself as a form of resistance, redemption, or at least desertion’ with respect to conventional thinking. In other words, it is a return to the knowledge of the meaning of words and thus to their real content, in order to better understand where one is and, above all, where one can go.

In alphabetical order, the words considered are alienation, artefact, artificial intelligence, automation, biopolitics, body, capitalism, control, design, device, gamification, globalisation, image, metropolis, progress, space, time, war and work. For each word, an analysis is provided, but above all, an illustration is given to encourage the reader to look beyond the conventional meaning.

This book, edited by Maurizio Guerri, is certainly not an easy read, nor is it something to be read casually. However, it is certainly a valuable resource for understanding the true meaning of concepts that are all too often misused and distorted.

Le parole della tecnica. Concetti, ideologie, prospettive

Maurizio Guerri (editor)

Einaudi, 2025

A research thesis discussed at the University of Milan which, through the analysis of the fashion industry, reveals a significant leap forward in production culture

Balancing sustainability with competitiveness, and tradition with modernity.  These are objectives common to most Italian companies, and are becoming increasingly urgent for some sectors. Fashion companies, in particular, are under pressure to balance the need for constant speed and change with the need to make their activities increasingly environmentally friendly.  All without losing sight of the product’s essence in terms of quality and originality.

These are the themes on which Serena Autorino based her PhD thesis, which was recently discussed at the University of Milan. ‘Valorizzazione dell’Heritage, Circolarità, Vintage e Upcycling. Opportunità per le aziende per una Moda più Sostenibile’ (Embracing heritage, circularity, vintage and upcycling. Opportunities for companies for more sustainable fashion) is a comprehensive and in-depth analysis of the complex and ongoing transformation of the fashion industry, which is caught between the need for increased competitiveness and its responsibility to consider the environmental and social impact of its actions.

Although Autorino’s study initially focuses on contradictions, it ultimately recognises several positive examples within the Italian corporate landscape. ‘While such a wide-ranging issue still seems far from being resolved,’ the author explains, ‘it is important to recognise that many companies are making great efforts to offer products, implement more ethical production cycles, and positively influence the system by collaborating with external actors.’ Among the cases cited are those of Ermenegildo Zegna and Successori Reda in the Biella district, and Rifò Lab, a Prato-based brand that makes garments from regenerated fabrics.  The aim was also to look at brands that exploit upcycling, as well as small, vintage-related businesses with contemporary and innovative approaches that put garments from the past back into circulation while catering to the needs and tastes of new generations.

Serena Autorino’s work highlights the importance of a circular system that starts with design and ends with the management of end-of-life garments, for which companies and consumers alike are responsible.

However, her research does not stop there, as further relevant aspects that emerge are the historical Italian practice of textile recovery, which has great potential for the future; the value of corporate archives, which offer inspiration for capsule collections, projects, and more conscious design by preserving and reinterpreting the past, thereby promoting quality and durability; the emergence of second hand and vintage as increasingly popular consumer choices; the use of heritage in the strategies of some Italian luxury brands, which demonstrates the central role of tradition in driving change; the importance of raising awareness and education for both the future generation of designers and consumers. In short, Serena Autorino takes her cue from the complex and diverse Italian fashion system to outline a significant leap forward in production culture.

Valorizzazione dell’Heritage, Circolarità, Vintage e Upcycling. Opportunità per le aziende per una Moda più Sostenibile

Serena Autorino

PhD thesis, University of Milan, Doctorate Course in Historical Studies, Cycle XXXVII, Department of Historical Studies, 2024

A rushing wind ruffles his hair.  But it does not disturb his concentration.  He stands leaning against the wall with his legs crossed to improve his balance.  He writes with his face bent over the notebook resting above his knee, holding the pen firmly to give the words and perhaps the drawings all the attention they deserve.

He is little more than a boy: a student, a young man in the court, an aspiring artist or scientist.  And he seems heedless of the world around him.  Yet what surrounds him is a solemn world:  philosophers, mathematicians and scientists; a convergence of knowledge; a metaphor for wisdom; with man at the centre.

This is ‘The School of Athens’, the great fresco painted by Raphael in the early 16^th century in the Stanza della Segnatura, one of the four Vatican Rooms inside the Apostolic Palaces (the preparatory cartoon, as fascinating as the finest examples of creative processes, adorns one of the most important rooms in the Ambrosiana in Milan). It is a masterpiece of the Renaissance and a symbol of a world rooted in great classical culture, thus enabling it to offer a vision of a future rooted in beauty and reason. A ‘temple of Philosophy’, to quote an idea of Marsilio Ficino, a wise interpreter of Humanism.

In the centre, at the top of a wide staircase, are Aristotle and Plato, surrounded by disciples, both real and imagined, intent on discussing astronomy, geometry, celestial spaces and the whirlwind of ideas. Among those present are Zeno, Epicurus, Euclid and perhaps Archimedes,  as well as two contemporary figures of the time. Michelangelo, somewhat separated from the group, is pensive and distracted by the drawing he is sketching. He is solitary and shadowy, as he was in life, a master annoyed by his contemporaries and his own pupils. And Raphael, who, almost in profile and from above, takes pleasure in such a gathering of intellects (he himself is therefore a ‘master’ in that gathering). There is conflict between the artists, but they also represent different conceptions of life and art, between torment and the sublime.

And what about that nervous boy writing in the wind?  Nothing is known about him. Neither Vasari nor other critics and historians have ever posed the question of who he was or why a breath of wind crept through his hair.

However, things are ever-changing. That scribe boy, taken from Raphael’s fresco, now takes centre stage on the two covers, one in yellow-red and the other in blue-violet, of ‘Use Your Illusion’, the double album released by Guns N’ Roses in September 1991. Among other tracks (such as the famous ‘Don’t cry’ and ‘Live and let die’) the album features one of the most intense versions of ‘Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door’, the poignant song written by Bob Dylan in 1973 for the soundtrack of Sam Peckinpah’s Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid, an elegy to the death of Sheriff Baker — a good man and far from the stereotypical Western hero. Like so many of us, he was overwhelmed by history, knowing how to make good use of his illusions, and as the sun of life set, he knocked on the gates of Paradise, seeking peace — precisely the peace that our uncertain and controversial times do not seem to grant us.  Despite the humanistic promises of the wise domain of knowledge and the subsequent enlightenment hopes of the triumph of reason, that Raphael boy brought back to life by Guns N’ Roses speaks to us today, as then, of restlessness and a never-ending need for signs to translate and appease it: of paintings and wise words.

The interplay between Renaissance painting and contemporary stadium rock emerged from a conversation with Ugo Loeser, the astute banker CEO of Arca Fondi. The occasion was the presentation of Patrizia Fontana‘s insightful book, Dai forma al tuo talento (Embrace your talent) (Franco Angeli Editore), which discusses the challenges and aspirations of a new generation searching for fulfilment, both personal and professional.

A survey carried out by ‘Talent in Motion’ between January and February 2025 among 1,600 young adults (aged 20 to 30, 86% of whom had a university degree) showed that 80% of respondents were afraid of failure and of disappointing themselves and others. Almost all of them considered ‘success’ to be ‘important’ (85%), yet 75% were afraid of ‘making the wrong career choices’, and 78% confessed that they didn’t know which path to take in the current context of job uncertainty. Furthermore, 76% reported feeling anxious in the face of competition.

This generation is experiencing a dramatic crisis of confidence. They are in a constant state of acute concern about the disturbing interplay between general geopolitical and economic tensions, and a lack of confidence in their own abilities and the good use of their ‘talent’.

This level of uncertainty undermines the possibility of building a future, the sense of community and the very foundations of the market economy and liberal democracy, and it demands answers.

From this perspective, Patrizia Fontana’s use of the word ‘talent’ is reminiscent of the Gospel parable of the same name. In the parable, a master entrusts his wealth to his servants before going on a journey. He distributes different amounts to each servant based on their abilities. Upon his return, he assesses their stewardship, rewarding those who invested wisely and increased their talents, and rebuking the one who hid his out of fear. If that talent is not only understood in a narrow monetary sense, then the parable’s reference takes on an even broader cultural and ethical scope. It points to the personal and social qualities that can be employed to overcome fears and thus strengthen the common good and ‘public goods’.

How? As well as looking inward, it is necessary to learn to evaluate the contexts in which one’s choices will fit and the conditions in which one will be operating. Study history, geography, politics, economics, social situations, and changes in the scientific and technological landscape well. In times of such radical, rapid and sweeping changes to market structures and, more broadly, socio-economic balances, it is necessary to adopt a flexible and unprejudiced attitude in order to study and adapt to new developments. Skills are needed, of course. But above all, you need a robust and ambitious inclination towards knowledge, the basis of which is knowing how to ask questions. As good teachers suggest, one must ‘learn to learn’.

In short, we must contribute to the creation of new cognitive maps by following the clear path indicated by the leaders of corporate culture for some time now.  We must value a ‘polytechnic culture’ that links humanistic and scientific knowledge, the sense of beauty deeply rooted in Italian culture, and the inclination towards originality, resourcefulness, and innovation. We must also recognise the importance of historical awareness and the ability to think of ‘stories for the future’. However, when insisting on the ‘future of memory’, we must be mindful of Leonardo Sciascia’s warning in his collection of essays ‘To Future Memory (If Memory Has a Future…)’.

A lesson in ‘industrial humanism’, indeed. It is precisely the structure of these algorithms and the construction of these now widespread artificial intelligence mechanisms that tells us we need a multidisciplinary approach involving cyberscience, physics, mathematics, statistics, engineering, sociology, philosophy, psychology, economics and law to understand their meaning and value, and to govern their dynamics and consequences.

This is a critical culture, therefore, as a horizon of knowledge and as an ethical standpoint, and it is precisely with the new generations that we must insist on this. With the young people who continue to ask our parents’ and grandparents’ generations questions about meaning and value construction.

We have an obligation to try to provide answers that inspire confidence in the future. This is also to avoid falling into the trap of Narcissus, a negative myth and symbol of death (the character drowns in his fatal admiration of his reflection in the water), and nihilism — the complete opposite of the widespread need for creativity, community, and why not, competitiveness (which, let us remember, comes from the Latin ‘cum’ and ‘petere’, meaning ‘moving together towards a shared horizon’). We must also avoid becoming prey to real technological solitude, where one engages in dialogue with AI for feedback without realising that one is not facing ‘the gaze of the other’ with which to construct one’s own, albeit problematic, identity, but rather the manipulation of a deceptive mirror.

And so we return to the restlessness and redemptive writing of Raphael’s boy, a representation of each one of us and our honest and sincere attempts to shape our destiny, still letting the wind ruffle his hair and his ideas. Remembering Bob Dylan again, ‘Blowin’ in the Wind’, indeed.

(photo: Getty Images)

Image and content are fundamental factors in the relationship between brand and production organisation.

Above all, a brand’s image should inspire confidence and provide reassurance. The relationships between brands and business success are often very close and complex. They also highlight a specific element of the production culture, which is communicated directly to the consumer. Roberto De Luca’s book ‘Brand e sostenibilità. Il ruolo degli intangibles nelle determinazioni quantitative d’azienda (Brand and Sustainability. The role of intangibles in quantitative business determinations) just published in open access, takes a closer look at these relationships.

The book begins with the observation that an increasing number of companies recognise that, in today’s competitive environment, the brand associated with their products or services is one of their key strengths. It is also a matter of choices and the time available to make them (something that applies to both individuals and organisations). In other words, when faced with complexity, one increasingly seeks simplicity.  Including in our choices. This is why brands that simplify consumer and business decisions, reduce perceived risk and define expectations are so valuable.

The book aims to explore the main issues of how to measure the financial value of brands and their influence from a business economics perspective. It achieves this by analysing a wide range of literature on the subject, particularly with regard to the evolution of brands, brand equity and its role over the years, problems associated with brand valuation, and the most commonly used valuation techniques. It also considers the influence of brands and how investments can be used to build them within markets.

De Luca’s book is a toolbox of sorts, providing a collection of research literature results that allow for a more conscious and shrewd approach to corporate branding.

Brand e sostenibilità. Il ruolo degli intangibles nelle determinazioni quantitative d’azienda

Roberto De Luca

Economics Research, Department of Business Sciences – Management and Information Systems of the University of Salerno, Franco Angeli open access, 2025

A study by the Bank of Italy provides an analysis of the reasons behind the adoption of cloud computing and artificial intelligence (AI) by Italian companies

New technologies present a challenge to companies that need to adopt them.  It is an important challenge that could determine the future of many manufacturing organisations. Therefore, it is extremely important to understand the conditions that enable companies to adopt innovative technology. This is particularly true of advanced digital technologies, which are transforming the organisation and performance of enterprises. As yet, however, there has been little comprehensive research into the adoption of these technologies. To gain a real understanding, careful and analytical studies are needed. ‘Embracing the digital transition: the adoption of cloud computing and AI by Italian firms’ goes some way towards addressing this. The research, carried out within the Bank of Italy and based on data from the Institute’s corporate surveys, evaluates the uptake of cloud computing and artificial intelligence (AI) among Italian companies.

The key numbers that emerge from the research are clear. By early 2024, over 50% of companies employing at least 20 people had adopted cloud services, with little variation across industries. This suggests that cloud technology is becoming standard infrastructure. In contrast, AI adoption remains more limited, rising from 4% in 2020 to 13% in 2024, and is still often an experimental step within enterprises or adopted for specific activities. So what drives adoption or pushes a company away from AI? According to the research, the adoption of AI is strongly related to company size, export activity and innovation capacity,  while managerial quality and prior digital investments also influence uptake. It appears to be a question of management and technical culture. However, the Bank of Italy’s research goes further, also investigating expectations regarding generative AI. It is noted that these expectations point to the transformation of labour rather than its displacement. According to the researchers, the analysis reveals that the adoption of digital technology has a positive correlation with achieved and expected employment growth.

Embracing the digital transition: the adoption of cloud computing and AI by Italian firms

Lorenzo Bencivelli, Sara Formai, Elena Mattevi, Tullia Padellini

Bank of Italy, Occasional Papers (Questioni di economia e finanza), No. 946 – June 2025

Italy is ageing. We are having fewer and fewer children. And year by year, increasingly more of our young are leaving, especially those with high qualifications and a drive to succeed. This impoverishes the country: fewer young people means less work, fewer companies, less gross domestic product and lower productivity, as well as less passion for innovation, less social cohesion and a more fragile civic spirit linked to community values. Does this mean Italy is in decline? Not yet. But the risks are high.

These are the considerations that spring to mind when reading recent economic and demographic data which confirms long-known trends that, at times, are becoming increasingly alarming. Unfortunately, despite the progress that has been made, this issue still does not form a central part of public and political discourse, except in terms of rhetoric about caring for future generations.
What does the data say? ISTAT has confirmed that a quarter of the Italian population (58,934,000 as of 1 January 2025) is over 65 years old, with 4,591,000 people being over 80 years old (an increase of 50,000 since 2024). Life expectancy at birth is now 81.4 years for men and 85.5 years for women, which is almost five months longer than in 2023. Births continue to decline, with only 370,000 new births in 2024 and the fertility rate falling to 1.18 children per woman — one of the lowest rates in Europe.

Another very concerning statistic is that 97,000 young graduates have left the country in search of better job and life opportunities in the last ten years. And this average figure tends to worsen over time. In 2023 alone, there were 21,000 (21% more than the previous year). Almost one hundred thousand graduates have disappeared from our labour market. They were educated in our schools and gained sophisticated, in-depth knowledge at our universities, several of which are now among the best in the world. The Milan Polytechnic has just entered the top 100. Now, these talented young people are working for other countries, production systems and societies. This is a waste, which is even more serious at a time when the main competitive advantage is precisely the ‘knowledge economy’. Italy is not meeting the need for skilled labour in companies, public administration or services (health, for example) with only 20.7 per cent of graduates compared to an EU average of 32 per cent.

ISTAT also documents that, in the two-year period 2023–2024, the number of Italian citizens who emigrated (270,000) increased by 39.3% (this refers to the number of people who change their registered address, which is much lower than the number of people who leave the country while remaining formally registered with their local registry office). These can be temporary or long-term choices, however few return. Between 2019 and 2023, 192,000 Italians aged 25–34 expatriated, and 73,000 returned. Almost 120,000 remained abroad.
Where? Firstly, the UK, followed by Germany, Switzerland, France and Spain (ISTAT data). ‘We have not invested in their training, active policies, research or developing human capital within companies. We are not enabling young people to feel like an active part of a society that grows and improves with them. Other countries, on the other hand, are more attractive,’ summarises Alessandro Rosina, Professor of Demography and Statistics at the Catholic University of Milan (La Stampa, 18 June).
To better understand why so many young people leave, one need only look at the salaries on offer. The latest report by Almalaurea, the consortium uniting 82 Italian universities, documents the fact that the average salary in Italy is very low. According to Il Sole24Ore (17 June), graduates earn 54 per cent more abroad than in Italy one year after graduation, and 62 per cent more five years after graduation.

Yet despite being poorly paid, our graduates excel, including in the world of research. This is confirmed by the latest figures on ERC Advanced Grants, European funding for senior researchers: Italy is third in Europe after the UK and Germany, having just overtaken France and the Netherlands. And if you look at the researchers’ passports, Italy comes second behind Germany. The problem for Italy is that many of the Italians awarded ERC funding work abroad permanently. This year, out of 37 awardees, 23 work in Italy and 14 abroad (Corriere della Sera, 18 June). In 2023, the situation was even worse: 22 awardees worked abroad and only 12 in Italy. Interestingly, there is a trend towards improving the quality and opportunities offered by Italian centres, but only time will tell how far this trend can be consolidated.

The key point here is that, in order to keep our graduates in Italy and attract international talent, we need to invest much more in research (well over the current 1.4 per cent of GDP — a very low figure compared to the EU average of over 2 per cent) and in quality training, as well as in salaries and career opportunities to build better conditions for professional and personal development and fulfilment.

The choices to be made call into question public expenditure, including that of the NRP. According to the principles of Next Generation EU, the NRP should have prioritised the various opportunities of the ‘knowledge economy’ to stimulate and support environmental and digital transitions. However, current expenditure only partially aligns with these original objectives. These changes must also affect businesses: entry salaries are low, particularly in small and medium-sized companies which are still strongly family-dominated in management. The opportunities for young graduates in these companies are still very limited. ‘Does the country think about young people?’ asks the economist Francesco Giavazzi pointedly (Corriere della Sera, 19 June), drawing on his experience working in the government at Palazzo Chigi during Mario Draghi’s time as president of the council. Italy is becoming a country where the elderly prevail and leave less and less space, including social and cultural space, for the new generations, who emigrate. This burdens the climate and habits of the ‘country for old men’, with its fears and suspicion of change, creating a vicious circle.

More and better targeted public and private investment is therefore needed to drive innovation. Choices must be made that reward knowledge, skills, enterprise, and international culture. This is the opposite of the tendencies towards conservation and resistance to modernisation. The spread of ‘poor work’ is typical of a widespread political tendency to neglect industry, high-tech services and industrial policy that stimulates the most productive and innovative sectors. In short, Patrizio Bianchi, an economist, former university rector in Ferrara and former councillor for labour in the Emilia Region, argues that ‘a European policy is needed for universities, jobs and salaries.’ As Rosina says, ‘Guaranteeing our young people conditions equal to those they find in other European countries is a crucial challenge for Italy’s growth and development.’ A challenge for good politics indeed, and a truly open view of the future.