Does erasing words from books emphasise their importance and essentiality? Does it emphasise the centrality of the written word? The answer is, of course, yes — provided that the “erasure” is an artistic gesture, a creative choice, a paradox that leads to truth. Especially if that artist is Emilio Isgrò. In fact, he made an exemplary poetic gesture of erasure, which was aesthetic and also ethical.

A major anthological exhibition by Emilio Isgrò, one of the greatest contemporary artists, has just been inaugurated to open the new MACC (Museum of Contemporary Art) in Scicli, Sicily. The museum is located in a building with astonishing Baroque architecture and is surrounded by rugged hillsides of dry stone walls (as Stefano Salis writes in Domenica de Il Sole 24 Ore on 11 May). The works in the exhibition, sixty years after the first erasures by the profoundly Sicilian — and therefore Mediterranean and universal — artist, highlight phrases and letters that feed criticism, dreams, reality and fantasy.

In short, says Isgrò, creating culture means knowing how to write, read, criticise and imagine. Constructing word games seasoned with fundamental silences, as if underlining them (in the manner of Isgrò’s “erasure”, in fact).

We live in an age of meaningless speech, syntactical and conceptual grammatical errors, loud and vulgar gossip, unreliable factoids, fake news and propaganda-filled public speeches. This is the era of “presentism”, where the present moment is prioritised over the depth of history, culture and the sacredness of life, thwarting the weight of the word. This context also means that new generations are finding it increasingly difficult to understand written texts, even with high levels of formal schooling.

We are facing a crisis of discourse. And it is a growing crisis. Therefore, it is essential to build a true “ecology of words” and restore the essential values that underpin discursive public opinion — the lesson of Jurgen Habermas — to speech. This will not only benefit democracy, but also the proper functioning of the market economy and the construction of positive social capital. This topic was discussed at length at the recent Communication Forum organised by Assolombarda. Books are the cornerstone of this. “Più libri, più liberi” (More books, more freedom), is the slogan of the National Fair of Small and Medium-sized Publishers held every year in December in Rome on the initiative of the Aie, the Association of Publishers.

Thought turns to wise words from Umberto Eco‘s “This is Not the End of the Book” (co-written with Jean-Claude Carrière and published by La nave di Teseo in 2009), in which he discusses the beneficial habit of using books as everyday objects, “like spoons”, and how books do not resist fire (the Library of Alexandria and the Nazi book burnings are prime examples of this), but instead survive “the global blackout”.

“A sign of vitality and salvation”, comments Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi (IlSole24Ore, 11 May), also drawing on the theologian Romano Guardini‘s “Praise of the Book”. In this story, a military chaplain distributes the pages of his Gospel to soldiers as a source of comfort in the midst of battle. Pages of consolation and remembrance of the essence of life, right at the moment of death.

“Everything in the world exists in order to end up as a book,” Stéphane Mallarmé was fond of saying. And even if it is true that “life is either lived or written”, as Luigi Pirandello said, books certainly help us to understand life better and convey its meaning and values to readers. This gives a narrated experience the characteristics of a challenge to time and oblivion.

Reading and falling in love with books, then. Keeping them in the fabric of our everyday life.

The just beginning season helps us to think better about words, the power of writing and the pleasure of reading. From 14 to 18 May, Turin will host the Book Fair, with over two thousand events, meetings and dialogues to inspire a love of reading. Then begins the Grand Tour of awards — the Strega, the Campiello, the Viareggio, the Bancarella, and so on — which involve hundreds of events. There are also festivals in Mantua, Pordenone, Taormina, Polignano a Mare, Salerno, Trani, and so on, including cities and towns all over Italy. Books are discussed, writers are interviewed, and ideas and emotions are exchanged. “Thanks to books, we can recognise ourselves as a community,” comments Giuseppe Laterza, a publisher who is particularly committed to organising initiatives that support reading (La Stampa, 10 May).

It is true that we read very little in Italy.  Book sales have become lacklustre again after the post-Covid boom.  However, it is encouraging that many surveys indicate that the younger generation still values books as a source of knowledge and mental stimulation. The thriving state of children’s and young adult publishing testifies to the possibility of a better future, thanks to the widespread habit in schools and among more discerning families of embracing paper books alongside digital reading tools.

Even the world of publishing, which is rarely explored by most Italians and is not popular in many political circles, has some interesting news. For example, there is the growing influence of capable and competent women at the top, who are adept at drawing on the experience and memory of notable figures such as Elvira Sellerio, Inge Feltrinelli and Laura Lepetit. This influence is emphasised by the recent appointment of Longanesi’s new president, Agnese Pini, director of Quotidiano Nazionale, Resto del Carlino, La Nazione and Il Giorno; the Turin Book Fair’s management by Annalena Benini; the renewal of Feltrinelli by Alessandra Carra; managing director; the activism of Elisabetta Sgarbi for the growth of La nave di Teseo; and the successes of Laura Donnini at HarperCollins and Elena Campominosi at Bollati Boringhieri. Once again, we must acknowledge the unwavering commitment of Rosellina Archinto and the skilful, innovative editorial choices of Chicca Dubini at NN Editore. They have a keen eye for the most promising American writers, building on the success of introducing a great author such as Kent Haruf to the Italian market. The consistent quality of Iperborea’s publications is a testament to the leadership of Emilia Lodigiani. Not to be overlooked are the initiatives of Annamaria Malato at Salerno Editrice and Patrizia Alma Pacini at the family publishing house.

The list of positive female stories could go on and on.  It is an important sign of quality and modernity in the world of publishing. On the other hand, the majority of women are strong readers, more so than men.  There is also a long list of successful female authors.

They publish books that are read (perhaps in smaller quantities than the 80,000-plus titles published each year, but of a higher quality). What is needed is the fostering of meetings and reading groups. And tax relief for those who want to open a bookshop. Investment in libraries, both public and private, is also necessary. This could be achieved by linking municipal libraries, school libraries, and company and workplace libraries. The Confindustria Culture Group and Museimpresa are studying initiatives to this end. Pirelli’s company libraries, both at the Milan headquarters in Bicocca and at the Settimo Torinese and Bollate factories, have a long positive history and could serve as a good reference.

In an era of the “knowledge economy” and responsible AI usage, making use of books is a choice that is cultural, social and civil.

An example? The works of Jorge Luis Borges, such as The Aleph, which has just been republished in Feltrinelli’s Universale Economica series, are among the many possibilities. This series contains many classic titles and is a must-have for anyone who loves culture and reading.  “’When I opened my eyes, I saw the Aleph’. ‘The Aleph?’ I echoed. ‘Yes, the place where, without any possible confusion, all the places in the world are found’.”

The Aleph, the first letter of the alphabet of the scared Hebrew language. The symbolic beginning of the Book. And books. Until we find ourselves, again from a book by Borges, at the “Library of Babel”. It is the chaos of the infinity of sheets that chase each other and repeat themselves. But it also a chaos that can be reconstructed and understood. And here we are again. Back to the positive significance of books.

(Photo Getty Images)

Research presented at the Polytechnic University of Turin emphasises the importance of collaboration between various elements in business development

Switching from one technological setup to another happens many times and continues to happen.  Understanding the steps involved is crucial. And not only from a technical point of view, but also human and geographically. This is what Marco Milanesio has attempted with his research discussed at the Polytechnic University of Turin a few weeks ago.

“La transizione verso l’industria 5.0. Gli Incentivi, le Tecnologie e il ruolo dei Distretti Industriali” (The transition to Industry 5.0. Incentives, Technologies and the Role of Industrial Districts) investigates the evolution of Italian production systems, with a particular focus on the transition from Industry 4.0, characterised by the adoption of digital technologies and automated systems, to Industry 5.0, oriented towards responsible and environmentally friendly growth.

Milanesio points out that the analysed transformation does not only concern the “internal dynamics of companies”, but is also closely linked to the “political and economic context”, in which a number of factors exert their influence: tax incentives and industrial districts in particular. Elements that are put in place to foster innovation and technological upgrading but whose effectiveness must be evaluated each time.

Marco Milanesio’s work provides a detailed analysis of the tax measures introduced to support businesses in promoting strategic investments, fostering organisational transformation, and increasing the competitiveness of the national production system. The paper also emphasises the positive effects of adopting digital solutions and intelligent systems on variables such as employment, profitability, and access to financial resources.

Then there is the issue of geographical location, with industrial districts functioning as catalysts and multipliers of growth possibilities. “It emerges,” explains Milanesio, “that companies located in areas with higher company densities and well-established support networks generally have easier access to tax incentives.”

Marco Milanesio’s research focuses on two key areas:  the importance of synergy between technological innovation and targeted fiscal policies,  and the fundamental role of the local area in ensuring the equitable distribution of innovation’s benefits through complementary strategies.

La transizione verso l’industria 5.0. Gli Incentivi, le Tecnologie e il ruolo dei Distretti Industriali

Marco Milanesio

Thesis, Polytechnic University of Turin, College of Management Engineering – Class LM/31, Master’s Degree in Management Engineering, 2025

A book that encapsulates a life of production and teaching

The idea that doing business is equivalent to cultural practice is now commonplace in many areas of economics, but not in all. Since time immemorial, methods of production and the organisations of production themselves have been an expression of the culture in which they emerge and evolve. Therefore, it is always necessary to consider the broader nature of the economy and production, and this is particularly timely. In his latest book, “Lezioni. Un percorso autobiografico” (Lessons. An autobiographical journey), Gianfranco Dioguardi, an engineer and professor of economics and business organisation who is considered one of the fathers of management engineering in Italy, does just that.

The book is a collection of the author’s professional experiences, ranging from academia and civic engagement to teaching and research, as expressed through his writing. In the first section, “Incontri con il Pubblico” (Meetings with the Public), Dioguardi brings together texts for companies and public institutions, as well as insights on various topics and lectures for specific events. In the second part of the book “Lezioni” (Lessons), the author presents speeches with a more didactic focus, dedicated to the management engineering that he helped create.

All with a unique approach, since Dioguardi is both a professor and a businessman. And it is precisely this characteristic that gives the book its extra dimension. A trait that emerges more in some places in the book, such as in the speech “For a Private Company”, which refers to the family business itself. “Our company is a living, vital, pulsating system,” writes Dioguardi, “and I am sure it will survive into the future with the philosophy I have outlined for you, despite unfavourable macro-environmental situations, because you have the will, the ability, the means and the class to make it survive.” This is a collection of must-read “lessons” from Gianfranco Dioguardi.

Lezioni. Un percorso autobiografico

Gianfranco Dioguardi

Guerini Next, 2025

Rebuilding trust. And to restore hope, especially to the young people, many, too many of whom leave Italy in search of better working and living conditions. In times of crisis, such as the one we are currently going through, it is necessary to have a clear awareness of the tensions, fractures and risks of deterioration of political, economic and social conditions. But also trying to catch a glimpse and build projects of recovery, of redemption. Beyond the common sense that tells us that the darkest point of the night is precisely the eve of the dawn, the most luminous pages of our literature contribute to setting a limit to despair. Like the one that concludes “Invisible Cities” by Italo Calvino: “The hell of living people is not something to come; if there is one, it is here already, it’s the hell we live in every day, which we form staying together. There are two ways not to suffer from it. The first comes easy to many: accept hell and become part of it, to the point you don’t see it any more. The second is risky and requires continuous attention and learning: to look for and recognise who and what, in the middle of hell, is not hell, and to make it last, and give it space.”

Calvino’s lesson is an integral part of a responsible approach to intellectual work and, therefore, to political commitment. And it is worth remembering this in the face of the many signs of crisis that crowd our troubled times. Looking for traces of it in the very fabric of the public discourse we live with, we tell, we plan a more satisfying condition in our being cives, responsible citizens of a community.

A good example of this are the words of the President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella, who recently spoke at the Quirinale ceremony to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the Fai, the fund that meritoriously protects and enhances Italy’s environmental assets, including the countryside, monuments and historical testimonies of an extraordinary civilisation. This is in line with the latest version of Article 9 of the Constitution, which, in the amendment of February 2022, added “the protection of the environment, biodiversity and ecosystems, also in the interest of future generations” to “the development of culture”, “scientific and technical research” and the protection of “the landscape and the historical and artistic heritage of the nation”.

President Mattarella believes that culture has the responsibility to “build common and shared identities, respecting the identity of each person” and defines a civilisation “that generates social capital, encounters, peace and development”. This Italy is in fact “an evocative mosaic”, the result of “many stories and events”, “patiently assembled” for the benefit of new generations. It is up to them to “find nourishment in the history from which they come” and from there to “raise the horizon of our gaze”. In other words, “the fate of man and the fate of the environment have never been so closely linked”.

The environment, culture, history and sustainable development are essential cornerstones of more balanced economic and social growth (as we have also discussed in the blogs over the last two weeks). And if, at a time of radical upheaval in geopolitical balances and profound market disturbances due to the serious trade wars underway, the reasons and methods of competition and the reconstruction of value chains need to be redefined, Italy itself, in the context of Europe, cannot fail to capitalise on the cultural, economic and civil characteristics that characterise its history and its future.

This is why President Mattarella reminds us that “it is not a question of embalming places, but of making resources available to the community that are in danger of being lost if they are no longer valued”.

In fact, they are places full of beauty and culture. And the 72 properties entrusted to the Fai (56 of which are open to the public), protected and enhanced thanks to the commitment of 300,000 members and 16,000 volunteers, are a sample of that extraordinary Italian wealth that is worth not only as a stimulus for cultivated, slow, conscious and responsible tourism, but above all as cultural heritage and social capital to be used as a lever for sustainable development.

In his meeting with the delegates of the Fai (led by President Marco Magnifico and former President Andrea Carandini), President Mattarella rightly recalled the words of Benedetto Croce, who in 1922 promoted the first law on landscape and was convinced that “the spirit of a community is linked to the territories and the landscape, whose degradation risks weakening and eradicating its own historical and cultural reasons”. A risk that unfortunately still exists, even in the face of serious protection regulations.

Cultural and moral values, and values of economic significance. Italian culture, in which the best Made in Italy has its vital roots, is in fact a rich fabric interwoven with a sense of beauty and scientific and technological knowledge, literary, artistic and philosophical wisdom and mathematical spirit, original creativity and the ability to produce “beautiful things that the world likes”.

The best Made in Italy companies are aware of this. They have made ESG values an integral part of the way they produce, operate, market, grow and compete. And they know that their history is a distinguishing factor in a competition where unfair competition and imitation have a negative impact. And that the link with the regions is a factor of identity, of quality and sustainability, of passing on knowledge and creating new knowledge. The experiences of the more than 160 museums and historical company archives registered with Museimpresa (the association set up by Assolombarda and Confindustria more than twenty years ago) are clear evidence of this. And the long-standing collaboration between Fai, the world of supporting companies (Pirelli is one of them) and the Museimpresa itself is proof of a shared commitment with strong economic and cultural values.

How to move forward and build on this? If this is our legacy of sustainable development, we need strong public investment in culture, scientific research, schools and long-term training, trying to reach European standards quickly. Strong tax incentives for private companies that invest in this field would also be useful (an extension of the art bonus would be highly appropriate, finally listening to those who have been asking for it for some time, such as Museimpresa).

Our future, in fact, has an ancient heart (to paraphrase the title of a book by Carlo Levi). And it is essential to face the challenges of a contemporary world that is full of complexity and controversy, but also of extraordinary opportunities. In terms of complexity, the Italian cultural and social experience itself has always been extraordinarily dense. And this “mosaic of different stories” that President Mattarella recalled today is an element that can be used. To rebuild trust and provide incentives for young people to invest, work, research and develop their creativity and initiative.

Traces of history, paths to the future.

(photo Getty Images)

A thesis discussed at the University of Brescia examines the effects of the application of the 231 Model

Corporate culture and business organisation is a fundamental dichotomy that has yet to be fully explored. So much so that it requires continuous in-depth analysis. Also because the relationship between management and culture is changing as the context and conditions in which the company itself operates change. This is also what makes the thesis “Il ‘successo sostenibile’ e la ‘dovuta diligenza: poteri, obblighi e

responsabilità nel governo dell’impresa tra profitto e tutela del contesto” (Sustainable success and due diligence: powers, obligations and responsibility in corporate governance from profit to protection of the context) discussed at the University of Brescia by Linda Rosa, such an interesting read. The aim of the research is clearly set out in the early pages: to explore “the crucial importance of the organisation, management and control models (…), introduced more than twenty years ago by Legislative Decree 231/2001, focusing on their impacts in terms of

corporate culture, sustainability and, last but not least, management of crimes against

the environment.” This ambitious goal was made possible by research funded by doctoral scholarships from the National Operational

Programme for Research and Innovation 2014-2020.

The study starts from the analysis of the concepts of “sustainable success” and “due diligence” as cornerstones of modern governance. In this sense, what is indicated by the 231 Model is understood as a safeguard for the protection of the environment as well as an education and training practice within the company organisation. The theory is then put to the test at Asonext s.p.a., an Italian company in the steel sector, where a study has been carried out for over a year on the methods of applying the model and how they relate to other control and work activities.

Linda Rosa’s conclusion is simple: if applied well, management control rules (such as those relating to the 231 Model) can also contribute to changing the approach towards production of those who work at multiple levels in the company. The author writes in her conclusions: “From this perspective, the process of implementing the 231 Model can no longer be considered a ‘necessary evil’, but must be seen as a stimulus for the reorganisation of the company, an opportunity to strengthen governance systems, improve decision-making processes and promote an integral and transparent corporate culture that is not limited to mere compliance with the law.”

Il “successo sostenibile” e la “dovuta diligenza”: poteri, obblighi e responsabilità nel governo dell’impresa tra profitto e tutela del contesto

Linda Rosa

Thesis, University of Brescia, Department of Economics and Management

PhD in Business & Law – Institutions and Enterprise: Values, Rules and Social Responsibility, 2025

A just published book analyses and explains the European AI Regulation

Artificial intelligence is a technology that needs to be thoroughly understood in order to be applied with care and awareness. And it must also be applied with clear and agreed rules, as the recently enacted European Regulation must be. To get a better understanding, the recently published “Governance dell’intelligenza artificiale. Applicare il nuovo Regolamento UE” (Governance of artificial intelligence. Applying the new EU Regulation) by Davide Borelli and Gianluca Martinelli, is a useful read.
The book is based on two observations. On the one hand, the emergence of AI in the legal dimension of business is one of the most relevant phenomena of our time, requiring careful reflection on how this technology is governed. On the other hand, the European AI Regulation represents the first organic attempt to regulate the issue: a text that introduces an array of obligations and responsibilities that cut across business activities. This is precisely why it needs to be understand well.
The book by Borelli and Martinelli – both of whom have a legal background with a focus on business – is divided into five sections. Firstly, AI systems are classified, then “obligations for suppliers and users” are addressed, then transparency and documentation. The next section analyses the conformity assessment procedures and, consequently, the sanctions provided for in the Regulation.
This is a book to be read and, above all, applied, and Davide Borelli and Gianluca Martinelli’s book has an additional feature: an interdisciplinary approach that seeks to enhance the contribution of academics and practitioners, with a focus on experience gained in multinational corporations, law firms and academia.

Governance dell’intelligenza artificiale. Applicare il nuovo Regolamento UE
Davide Borelli, Gianluca Martinelli
Franco Angeli, 2025

“Italy must do Italy well”, the Symbola Foundation has long argued. And that means making the most its original ability to combine artistic creativity and economic enterprise, a taste for the “beautiful and well-made” and a passion for innovation, civic spirit and business quality, respect for the environment and market culture. In short, making space for a social capital interwoven with productivity and solidarity. This is what will be discussed at the annual Summer Seminar of Symbola, to be held in Mantua at the end of June, under the title “When Italy does Italy – Sustainability, Europe, the Future”, with economists, sociologists, politicians and the men and women at the top of those companies that, by making environmental and social sustainability a fundamental asset of their competitiveness, continue to occupy the best places on international markets, in niches of high quality and high added value.

In these difficult and uncertain times, when geopolitical crises are overwhelming traditional power structures and trade wars are undermining the chances of economic growth both globally and in many countries, redefining the reasons for competitiveness and reorganising value chains is an essential challenge, especially for Italian and European companies. The spread of AI (Artificial Intelligence) is helping to address this with some success. And the Leonardo supercomputing centre in Bologna, working with northern universities, business networks and public and private research centres, can make a difference to our advantage.

On the other hand, the Italian “polytechnic culture”, capable of finding virtuous syntheses between humanistic and scientific knowledge, from Leonardo da Vinci to Galileo Galilei, from the physicists of Via Panisperna to the chemists of Giulio Natta, Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1963, from Olivetti to Pirelli and Finmeccanica (now Leonardo), has always provided valuable guidance.

The question is simply: how to grow Made in Italy? And how can we build more economic value by leveraging the values cherished by both the markets and the stakeholders of our companies? Public and private investment in research and innovation, overcoming the traditional government-to-government tendency to spend less than the EU average on research and education. But also an ambitious strategy for cultural and industrial policy, which, in the context of European choices, promotes “Italian knowledge”, our culture (that “polytechnic” dimension mentioned above) and, of course, the spread of our language. Without nationalist rhetoric, but with an awareness of Mediterranean and European relations, of which a language like Italian is an exemplary product.

The latter aspect of linguistic and expressive values was the focus of the “States General of the Italian Language”, held in mid-April at the Maxxi in Rome on the initiative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Dante Alighieri Society. The debate also analysed issues related to Made in Italy and industrial activity.

How, then, can we make the most of Italian as a fundamental part of our social, cultural and economic capabilities? We can start with a quote from Gio Ponti, the great architect, planner and designer: “In Italy, art fell in love with industry. And that’s why industry is now a cultural phenomenon.” Ponti interpreted the country’s modernisation processes over a long period of the 20th century, as demonstrated by the Pirelli skyscraper, an icon of the economic boom of the 1950s and 1960s, as well as a series of design and art objects that characterised the evolution of Italian taste and lifestyle and its international diffusion as a cultural and industrial product.

In other words, industrial culture, business culture, is an essential part of Italy’s cultural heritage. Historical roots and visions of the future. A rich, complex and varied heritage of creativity and original industriousness, imagination and production. Our literary and scientific language bears deep traces of this.

This heritage includes the great literature of Dante, Leopardi and Manzoni, to name but a few. The opera of Verdi and Rossini. The figurative arts, from Giotto to Michelangelo, from Caravaggio to De Chirico and Modigliani, mark the course of a millennium of masterpieces. The theatre of Goldoni and Pirandello. Cinema and photography. But also mathematics and physics, chemistry and architecture. The typographies and typefaces of Bodoni and Manuzio. And design and industry. A composite culture, rich in connections and relationships, with the ability to “make beautiful things that the world likes”. A civilisation of machines, labour, enterprise and creativity.

Art and industry, then. Understanding that to make industry is to make culture. And with a Made in Italy that has a strong industrial connotation, of great relevance, in the fields of mechanics and mechatronics, robotics, automotive, chemicals and pharmaceuticals, rubber and plastics, avionics and aerospace, shipbuilding and, of course, clothing, furnishings and agri-food. What words to use to tell this story?

An essential Latin lesson is worth remembering: “Nomina sunt consequentia rerum” (names are the consequences of things). So let us consider these things and think about Italian identity, knowing full well that “identity is not in the subject, but in the relationship”, as the great French philosopher Emmanuel Lévinas astutely observed. Italian identity, multiple, dialectical, open, inclusive, lies in the sense of beauty, balance, measure, in a form that expresses a function and accompanies (often heralds) economic and social change, movement, transformation. Italian identity as metamorphosis and awareness of history. And an open eye on the future (as evidenced by the documents and objects preserved and valued by the more than 160 museums and historical company archives that are members of Museimpresa), a fresh approach, a presence on the markets.

So a sense of proportion, craftsmanship and quality.

Craftsmanship does not mean confining oneself to the horizon of the small workshop, however important it may be. Rather, in a broader sense, it refers to a method of craftsmanship, precision, attention to detail, a focus on the balance between form and function, a sense of caring for the product for the individual use of the individual customer. Craftsmanship applied to the large industrial process, to its most value-added niches.

And proportion? What does proportion mean? A sense of measure, balance, proportion and relationship is a fundamental part of beauty. To grasp this, one can go to the Biblioteca Ambrosiana in Milan and open the pages of Leonardo da Vinci’s “Atlantic Codex”. There, in more than a thousand leaves, are depictions of gears, digging and working machines, technical drawings that are striking for the beauty of the line and the refinement of the technology depicted, for the sense of balance and the power of precision, qualities that would later, centuries later, be translated into all that Italian manufacturing has been able to achieve over time and that it still knows how to achieve today. Thus, when Confindustria (the Italian Confederation of Industry) decided to open its representation in Washington in June 2023, it brought Leonardo’s drawings of the Atlantic Codex to exhibit in the public library of the US capital.

There is one word that is worth emphasising now: design, industrial design. Beauty and functionality linked to the quality of everyday life, consumption and the evolution of consumption.  Aesthetics and use of industrially produced objects, the expression of the “polytechnic culture” we keep talking about. A culture of design and product and, now, of services. We could also say that the quality of Italian industry, its beauty, its unmistakable strength, the competitiveness of Made in Italy, deserves to be better represented than it has been. A narrative that more fully expresses our potential. Here, the flexibility, the richness, the musicality of language comes to our aid. The export of Made in Italy products and services and the widening of horizons for the study and use of the Italian language are part of the same cultural and civil development project.

But let us pause a moment longer on the word “beauty”. If it refers not only to a set of values and aesthetic factors, but also to elements of quality and functionality, then we discover that beauty, throughout the tradition, is also linked to the roots of our civic conscience and to that “civic economy” of which Antonio Genovesi, one of the leading Neapolitan Enlightenment theorists, considered by Adam Smith, the father of liberal economics, as “my master”, was an exemplary theorist. Productivity and awareness of community values, innovation and solidarity. Wealth building and improving the social balance.

The beauty of monuments, the beauty of landscapes, relationships, cities and neighbourhoods, the beauty of aggregation and production. But also the beauty of well-designed factories, the “beautiful factory”, i.e. well-designed, safe, welcoming, inclusive, sustainable. Italian industry has created and continues to create and develop “beautiful factories” where it is pleasant to work and where production is better and of higher quality. It is a lesson in experience and design skills. And reasoning about our words for manufacturing quality is not only an economic task, but a cultural and civic one. A historical legacy and a project for the future.

A just published book that delves into the human aspects of business

The change from cog to human being. Following the evolution of business management approaches and summarising events, this change is perhaps the parable of the role of work and workers. It is a complex journey, and one that is not yet complete. A journey that needs to be encouraged and so well understood. Some key factors to help with this can be found in “Il lato umano dell’impresa. Vivere la comunità dentro le organizzazioni” (The human side of enterprise. The living community within organisations), a recently published book by Francesco Limone. The title says it all: looking at production organisations also as communities and not only as mechanisms.

The starting point is scientific management, born during the second industrial revolution, which saw workers as cogs in a machine and work as something separate from life. At that time, companies dealt technical problems that could be solved by experts and specific skills. Today everything is different, starting from the context in which companies operate. It is a social system represented by the acronym B.A.N.I.: Brittle, Anxious, Nonlinear and Incomprehensible. Uncertainty and complexity call for a different approach in which everyone counts and contributes, and in which corporate goals are reconciled with an anthropological, i.e. human, vision of the company.

It is on these findings that Francesco Limone bases his reasoning. The current challenges, he explains, are mainly adaptive: this is new for everyone, with answers that come from dialogue and quality conversations within a community. The driving force behind the company is not just individual talent, but the entire community that lives and works within it. Leadership becomes diffused, combining challenge and care, building on a sense of belonging and community.

This is a sense of community, which is a complex and difficult condition to build, but it is fundamental, also for companies. Not just to respond to the challenges of the day, but to reinforce weaving together of interdependent lives.

Limone’s book should be read attentively, with a preface by Stefano Zamagni that places the text in a humanistic and historical perspective that helps to understand it better.

Il lato umano dell’impresa. Vivere la comunità dentro le organizzazioni

Francesco Limone

Egea, 2025

A paper discussed at the University of Genoa highlights the countries that are ahead of their time, but also the journey that still needs to be taken

Valuing and respecting those who work in companies is an important and fundamental idea, almost taken for granted, which in reality is not always applied as it should be. This is a question of culture before management. And it is now an essential question for any production organisation, so much so that it has given rise to a specific approach. Diversity management is now an essential part of any good production culture, but it is still a necessity that not everyone embraces.

Erica Rovina’s thesis, discussed at the Faculty of Social Sciences of the University of Genoa, tackles the issue from several angles. The research, entitled “Diversity Management nelle imprese: una visione strategica” (Diversity management in companies: a strategic vision), aims to analyse the causes, challenges and opportunities of diversity management, as explained in the opening pages of the work, focusing on some forms of discrimination, including racial, gender and cultural.

Erica Rovina begins by focusing on the basic characteristics of diversity management as an essential strategy for organisations, aimed at enhancing individual differences and promoting inclusive and competitive work environments. The thesis also examines the set of current rules that govern these practices not only in Italy and Europe, but also in the United States. The research then attempts to highlight the extent to which the rules are actually applied in the various companies and, therefore, the difficulties that still need to be resolved. The theory is finally compared with the practice by means of a case study, that of Cirfood, a company dealing with collective and commercial catering.

The picture that emerges is complex and varied. In fact, the real application of the principles of diversity management ranges from simple compliance with the law, to marketing initiatives, to real strategic actions for the involvement and development of those who work in the company. And it seems that there is still a long way to go on this journey.

Diversity Management nelle imprese: una visione strategica

Erica Rovina

Thesis, University of Genoa, Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Economics, Master’s Degree in Management, 2025

A book by a computer scientist and a philosopher helps us understand new technologies

Understanding in order to act better and wiser.  This applies to everyone, but particularly to certain categories of social and economic actors. In other words, to have the right tools to understand, and then to act more carefully. This must also be done with the new technologies available, including artificial intelligence, perhaps one of the most important, interesting and promising. Provided, that is, that you understand it well.

To help this understanding, a useful read is “Per un’ecologia dell’intelligenza artificiale. Dialoghi tra un filosofo e un informatico” (Towards an ecology of artificial intelligence. Dialogues between a philosopher and a computer scientist) written by Vincenzo Ambriola (already Professor of Computer Science and Director of the Department of Computer Science at the University of Pisa) and Adriano Fabris (Professor of Moral Philosophy, also at the University of Pisa). The two authors, who come from different backgrounds and experiences, have one thing in common: the ethical focus of technology. The book is a dialogue between the two, based on an observation: the advent of artificial intelligence is redefining the boundaries of the human, inexorably intertwining technology and consciousness. The two then try to answer a series of important questions for everyone, which can be summed up as one big question. How will artificial intelligence change the way we work, relate to each other and understand ourselves? In fact, what is affected by our relationship with technologies is the very idea of the human being that artificial intelligence introduces.

The two academics discuss this historic revolution with their different lenses through which they observe reality and technology. And therein lies the interest of the book (not even 100 pages to read carefully). While the computer scientist guides the reader through the meanderings of the algorithm, revealing the potential and the limits of this new intelligence, the philosopher invites us to reflect on the moral implications of this transformation. One vision of reality does not exclude the other and, on the contrary, it enriches it.

The book is structured in three steps (with as many chapters). The first discusses the ethics of artificial intelligence “in socio-technological systems”, and then goes into detail about what ethics we are talking about, what codes are being discussed, and what the actual novelty of “new technologies” is. The second chapter then reflects on language and the “worlds created by artificial entities” and tries to understand the function, utility and responsibility that these worlds imply. An example of a “conversation with an artificial entity” is also included in this part. The third step concerns the “ecology of digital environments” and relates to the places and spaces of these environments, attempting to define a new way of doing ecology.

Each chapter is based on texts written by the two, and on others written alternately by either the computer scientist or the philosopher.

In their conclusions, the two authors highlight the importance of ethics today, not only for humans but also for machines, and the extent to which the latter’s design criteria “must be inspired by principles such as transparency, accountability, respect for predefined and inviolable rules. The accountability mechanisms governing the operation of these systems must be clarified, separating the training phase from the operational phase”. However, the book – and this is another of its merits – does not provide an answer to all the questions that remain unanswered; on the contrary, it concludes by stressing how complex and difficult it is to achieve a balance in the use of new technologies.

Per un’ecologia dell’intelligenza artificiale. Dialoghi tra un filosofo e un informatico

Vincenzo Ambriola, Adriano Fabris

Castelvecchi, 2025