On 7 May we will be at the Gallerie d’Italia in Turin to talk about “Photography and Music” together with the Intesa Sanpaolo Historical Archive, Lelli & Masotti and the Archivio di Etnografia e Storia Sociale (AESS) – Lombardy Region. This will be the third and final event in the 2024 edition of “Una Rete in Viaggio. Storie, idee, progetti”, a programme of meetings curated by Rete Fotografia, which brings together members and institutions to explore common areas of interest.

The exhibition entitled Non ha l’età. Il Festival di Sanremo in bianco e nero 1951-1976 will run until 12 May at the Gallerie d’Italia. The Intesa Sanpaolo Historical Archive will use it to reconstruct the relationship between photography and music in the archive of the Publifoto photojournalism agency. The Lelli & Masotti photographic archive will examine the question of “what it means to photograph music” by explaining what it means to capture live musical events, from rock to jazz, through to the concerts at the La Scala opera house in Milan, where Silvia Lelli and Roberto Masotti were official photographers for a long time. The contribution of the Archivio di Etnografia e Storia Sociale (AESS) – Lombardy Region will focus on the anthropological aspect in reportages documenting the use of songs and instrumental music during weddings, carnivals, and street performances, capturing their ritual aspects.

Lastly, we ourselves will look at the close bond between business and music, which can be retraced through the photographs published over the years in Pirelli house organs. From the 1940s to the 1970s, many articles on the world of music were published in Pirelli magazine and in Fatti e Notizie. These focused in particular on the big names in music and on the latest chart toppers, with reports and analyses from a socio-anthropological angle, exploring the role of music in well-being and corporate culture.

“Musica per chi lavora” (“Music for those who work”) was the title of an article that appeared in Pirelli magazine in 1952. It examined the influence of music on workers’ productivity, a subject often inspired by 1950s psychology experiments in America. In 1961 Aldo Visalberghi wrote about his investigation into the “Responsibilities of television”, which discussed the potential of television as a means for educating spectators, and thus also the key role of music on the small screen. Many photographs in our archive were never published in the magazine, and these include numerous portraits of Leonard Bernstein, with one that shows him with Igor Stravinsky when the Russian composer made his debut on CBS with the New York Philharmonic. “Gli archeologi del blues” (“The archaeologists of the blues”), published in 1965 by the music critic Arrigo Polillo, examined the transition from black music to Louis Armstrong – as illustrated for Pirelli magazine by Studio Farabola together with Mario Riva – through to John Coltrane’s protest jazz. And there is a contribution on musical education in Italy by Corrado Augias (1971) accompanied by a reportage by Mimmo Frassineti at the Santa Cecilia Conservatory of Music in Rome.

Fatti e Notizie, a house organ that first came out in 1950, became a modern glossy magazine in the late 1960s, both in its graphics, with numerous illustrations, and in its content: in addition to news about the company, it published many articles on ecology, sport and culture, as well as columns devoted to music, cinema, and books. In May 1971 the house organ came out in the large format typical of periodicals at the time and in July a column called Variety made its debut, with songs, television, the star system of singing, the Sanremo Festival and Canzonissima. Variety was immediately flanked by other columns under the titles Dischi, Canzoni and Spettacoli. Canzoni offers a comprehensive overview of Italy’s music scene, with its songs and 45 rpm records, and its Cantagiro and Festivalbar programmes on television. Big names included Domenico Modugno, who called for a return to traditional songs and Lucio Dalla who “wants to rediscover Emilian folk songs”. The Spettacoli column reported on the performance by the thirty-five-year-old Enzo Jannacci on 16 June 1971 at the Bicocca: an event organised by Pirelli not just for its employees, but for everyone. Jannacci commented on it in the pages of the periodical, saying: “Here the applause and praise is always genuine, never prompted or merely courteous. And I appreciate authenticity.”

Among the events promoted by the company, Fatti & Notizie primarily focused on the activities of the Pirelli Cultural Centre, such as the famous Concert for Prepared Pianos by John Cage and David Tudor in 1954. A composer and music theorist from Los Angeles, Cage was one of the top names in the avant-garde music scene, but in 1954 he was still virtually unknown in Italy. The event at the Cultural Centre was actually his first public appearance in Italy. In the words of Fatti e Notizie, this was a “courageous” decision by Pirelli and Gino Negri, then curator of the music programme of the Cultural Centre, encouraged by the composer Luciano Berio. It was 5 November and the performance, presented by the composer and musicologist Riccardo Malipiero, was destined to enter the history of modern corporate culture.

Recently, music has emerged as an integral part of corporate culture, finding representation in events such as the MITO SettembreMusica Festival. This partnership began in 2007, and since 2010 Pirelli has also promoted the Festival’s events in its own industrial spaces. In the 2010 edition, the former Settimo Torinese factory became the venue for “I Fiati di Torino” in front of an audience of over four hundred people. After the success of the 2010 edition, the musicians returned to the factory for MITO 2011: this time the I Pomeriggi Musicali Orchestra, conducted by Maestro Luca Pfaff, performed in the renovated spaces of the Industrial Centre in Settimo Torinese. In 2014 the Turin Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Micha Hamel performed in the premises of the Centre, and in 2016 it was the turn of the musicians of the Altus Trio.

In 2017 Maestro Salvatore Accardo conducted the Orchestra da Camera Italiana in a performance entitled “Il canto della fabbrica” at the Industrial Centre in Settimo Torinese. This piece, commissioned by the Pirelli Foundation, was created by the composer and violist Francesco Fiore to illustrate in music the sounds of the Factory 4.0. The concert, which was extensively documented in photographic shoots, inspired the editorial project of the same name published by Mondadori in 2018. This project explores the intersection of industry and music in over 120 images. And the relationship between Accardo and Pirelli goes back even further. In 1971 the Maestro, just thirty years old and already considered to be one of the world’s greatest violinists, was invited by the company to take part in the 6th Music Festival at the Pirelli Cultural Centre.

Photography has the remarkable ability to evoke a circular journey through past and present. So that music, through images, can continue to resonate.

Newly published research links CSR with corporate well-being

The company’s commitment to its responsibilities within the surrounding environment, as well as its focus on employee well-being, signifies a shift towards a more conscientious culture of production.

Usma Zaidi’s research contribution, “CSR and Employee Happiness: A Systematic Review and Critique of Organizational Cultures for Employee Satisfaction,” which centres on these concepts, has recently been published online in the Open Journal of Social Sciences.

The explicit objective of the survey is to explore “the potential effects of organizational culture, with the collaboration of Internal Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), on the happiness of employees”. In essence, the objective of the study was to identify and examine the connections and interplay between organisational culture, especially in relation to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), and the well-being of employees within their professional lives. The research specifically aimed to offer insightful suggestions for enhancing employee job satisfaction and commitment to the organisation by leveraging the presence and functionality of CSR initiatives.

Zaidi’s research begins with an elucidation of the defining attributes of CSR, progressing to an examination of numerous business case studies by employing statistical survey techniques to investigate the connections between CSR and employees. Zaidi’s article therefore establishes a statistical link between internal CSR, organisational culture, and employee satisfaction. Beyond the numerical outcome, Zaidi effectively “correlates the CSR practice with any employee’s personal activity to improve the productivity of work with positive emotions.” Thus, a beneficial synergy between the company and the employee arises in organisations where CSR is properly understood.

As such, Zaidi’s study enables us to gain a clearer and more quantitatively grounded understanding of the robust connections between CSR and corporate welfare.

CSR and Employee Happiness: A Systematic Review and Critique of Organizational Cultures for Employee Satisfaction

Uzma Zaidi (HASS Department, Amity University, Dubai, UAE)

Open Journal of Social Sciences, Vol.12 No.4, April 2024

Revisiting Giuseppe Berta’s book on entrepreneurship for a deeper insight into the subject matter.

“Being at the helm of someone else’s ship is one thing; building the ship, launching it into the sea, and sailing it is quite another. This passage, drawn from a 2020 interview with Avvenire, encapsulates the archetype of the entrepreneur as depicted by Giuseppe Berta, who sadly passed away a few days ago. For many years, Berta was a professor of contemporary history at Bocconi University in Milan and a keen observer of Italian businesses. The entrepreneur has “a dream” – to use a term favoured by certain business historians – and succeeds in bringing it to fruition, experiencing both hardship and joy, selecting the right people to join them on their venture, coordinating and nurturing them, and in turn, growing alongside them.

Berta devoted a book to this individual and his or her special culture, titled “L’enigma dell’imprenditore (e il destino dell’impresa)” [“The Enigma of the Entrepreneur (and the Destiny of the Enterprise)] – a work that is perfectly encapsulated by its title. Indeed, like any compelling book, this literary endeavour by Berta (among his many works) does not offer definitive answers but rather discusses an “enigma”, offering at most some helpful tools for understanding it. And the title immediately establishes a connection between the figure of the entrepreneur and the fate of his or her creations: businesses.

A fate that, upon reading the book, is first delineated from a historical perspective and subsequently in terms of its relevance to the present day (remaining pertinent even a few years post-publication). The entrepreneur is characterised from the mid-eighteenth century onwards, depicted as the catalyst of the economic process. Progressing into the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, the entrepreneur evolves into an innovator, and then assumes the roles of organiser and manager. Moving on to the present day, we find ourselves in a world where emerging technologies, digitalisation, complexity, and speed appear to offer both new constraints and new opportunities for businesses.

Consequently, the persona of the entrepreneur and their associated culture presents Berta with an opportunity to discuss the evolution of business and capitalism, which, in the final pages, is described in terms of “platforms” rather than individual entities. As we said, it’s a story that doesn’t offer ready-made solutions, but rather provides tools for understanding. All presented in a page-turning style that, while sometimes complex, remains completely comprehensible. It is a book to read – and indeed to re-read – providing food for thought and, unsurprisingly, ending with a question. In discussing contemporary entrepreneurship, which relies on both technology and financial networks, Berta speaks of “a concoction that seems capable of infinitely propelling the prospects and quantity of new entrepreneurs. But for how long?”

L’enigma dell’imprenditore (e il destino dell’impresa)

Giuseppe Berta

Il Mulino, 2018

The sovereignists ask for less Europe and greater power for national states. All those who care about a synthesis of sustainable development, liberal democracy and welfare, on the other hand, talk about a more compact, reliable Europe, with a more incisive international role, with the risk of deterioration even for individual European countries otherwise. And Italian businesses? For many years now, the best manufacturing companies have considered Europe as one great single market, full of opportunities, and are well aware of the advantages of exporting to other EU countries as a competitive lever also in relation to other international markets. More Europe and a better Europe is their outlook, consequently.

Confindustria, naturally, continues to insist on the prospects of a less bureaucratic and more effective Europe to reinforce economic relations and competitiveness, especially in the face of the challenges from US and Chinese policy and the economic dangers of the dramatic current geopolitical crises (we discussed this at length in the blogs of recent weeks). It’s consolidating the system of good relations with other business organisations in France and Germany. And it’s asking for a real step change from the European institutions, looking with attention and interest both at the Report on the single market drawn up by Enrico Letta as president of the Delors Centre, on behalf of the EU Commission in Brussels, and at the report on competitiveness that Mario Draghi is working on.

“A non-united Europe is heading towards decline and dependence on foreign powers” maintains the great businessman that is Marco Tronchetti Provera, CEO of Pirelli (la Repubblica, 22 March). And he explains: “Up to now, Europe has not succeeded in pooling all its resources. It has the richest market in the world and 440 million people with the best social protection globally. All of this is based on the values ​​of culture and democracy that underpin the birth of the EU. At the moment, however, there is no project, merely certain faint signals on the common defence and foreign policy front. Whoever wins the European elections has to be able to give a common direction to all this.” In short, “we need a great recovery plan”. It needs to be financed “by acting on the European budget” and also “with instruments such as Eurobonds”, following “the direction already tested with NextGenEU”. In summary, “it is important to guarantee the competitiveness of the financial system. Europe has a lot of private savings to channel into investments and can’t only pay attention to inflation. We have to grow by connecting monetary and industrial policies.”

These are the issues that should be discussed during the election campaign, avoiding a warping of the June vote for the new European Parliament towards national interests in terms of power and devoting too much public debate to mere rabble-rousing, forgetting to deal with economic challenges, facts and figures.

It may be useful, precisely in response to anti-European campaigns, to think about the economic and social, as well as political, effects of a radical choice against the EU: Brexit.

“So far, Brexit has caused the United Kingdom to lose five points of GDP”, claims a study by Goldman Sachs (la Repubblica, 9 February), calculating a difference compared to the great EU countries caused by reduced growth and high inflation linked to the rift between London and the EU after the referendum on 23 June 2016. Bloomberg’s opinion is similar: lower GDP, higher interest on debt, higher unemployment: “The United Kingdom appears unable to escape from the endless damage of Brexit” (la Repubblica, March 21).

An ISPI study by Davide Tentori (12 January) allows us to take a better look at some essential data. Brexit formally became reality from midnight on 31 January 2020, although in practical terms some changes occurred as early as 1 January 2021, at the end of the “Transition Period” of negotiations on the terms of the new economic relationship between the United Kingdom and European Union.

From 2021 to 2023 – ISPI calculates – the country’s GDP grew at an average annual rate of 4.5%, in contrast to an average growth of 3.3% in the European Union. But it must be considered that in 2020 (the year of the Covid pandemic, together with the uncertainty linked to negotiations with the EU to define the Trade and Cooperation Agreement – TCA) “the GDP contracted by 10.3%, much more than the 5.8% recorded on average by the 27 EU countries”. In short, “the British economy has certainly been penalised by unpredictable elements, such as the consequences of the pandemic on international supply chains in terms of logistics and transport – which have caused a shortage of food supplies; but the mistakes made during the brief and no less disastrous experience of Liz Truss’s government also had an impact.”

Contingencies aside, ISPI insists on “a structural loss of competitiveness in the British production system, the result of a twenty-year lack of investment, both in the public and private sector, and a partial loss of the country’s role as a ‘hub’ once outside the European single market.”

The government of Rishi Sunak, who took over from Liz Truss, managed to right the ship, thus avoiding a recession in 2023 (also favoured by a global economy that proved more robust than expected), “but at the price of a fiscal and monetary crunch which will certainly not favour future economic growth.”

Looking at foreign trade, compared to the pre-Brexit and pre-pandemic period, “the United Kingdom managed to increase its trade flows as early as 2022, albeit at the expense of considerable growth in imports which translated into a significant increase in the trade deficit (from 224 billion dollars in 2019 to 288 in 2022). A similar dynamic was recorded in bilateral trade with the EU, falling in 2020 and 2021 and then recovering, exceeding pre-Covid levels in 2022, but in this case too with a growing deficit resulting from growth in imports. The next stress test will be with the introduction of the last instalment of checks on agri-food goods arriving from the EU, starting in spring 2024.”

“Hands free” from EU constraints have allowed London to forge new trade relations especially in the Indo-Pacific area. But so much activism has not compensated for either the growing weakness of the economy, or the loss of London’s central role as a financial centre (many functions, as well as many banking headquarters, have moved to Amsterdam), or the deterioration in living standards.

The recent local elections, with heavy losses for the Tories, reflect this clearly. After 15 years of Conservatives in power, many believe there will be a changing of the guard in the next general election in autumn, with a possible win for Labour.

“An island adrift or with a clear strategy?” asks the ISPI report.

Geopolitical tensions, Washington’s strategies and pressure from China, also economically, don’t favour the role of individual countries, even ones as important as the United Kingdom.

Reflections on the future of Europe, both in terms of industrial policy (with a recovery of competitiveness) and of security, energy and defence still draw London into the arena. And if Brexit isn’t a phenomenon that can be altered in the short term, a new season of more robust relations seems desirable. In a world so full of risks and tensions, no one can engage in “single combat”.

(photo Getty Images)

A recently presented thesis takes theoretical and practical stock of one of today’s hot topics

Doing business and doing good business through the scheme of action of benefit companies. The benefit company may represent a positive leap forward in production culture, however, it must be correctly understood and implemented. Starting not only from the theory behind it but also, and perhaps above all, from the example of those who have already taken this step. These are the ideas that underpin the research – later transformed into a thesis – by Giuliano Badecco presented at the University of Padua.

“Benefit Companies: an important step towards a sustainable future and the Illy business case’ – this is the title of the paper – has a simple structure. First of all, it offers a snapshot of the ‘corporate instrument’, i.e. the benefit company, the theory and practice of which is to be investigated. In this part, therefore, the general framework of these companies, their modus operandi and the legal and tax aspects that differentiate them from traditional companies are explored. The second part of the paper concerns the management possibilities of this business model, the various types of connections that are created with the various active subjects, the so-called stakeholders, and the identification of the bases for the analytical analysis of a concrete business case study, that of Illy caffè, which is explored in the third part.

Everything is linked to the new perspective that production organisations must pursue, namely that of corporate sustainability.

Giuliano Badecco’s research is an honest investigation into one of the most complex and widely discussed topics of recent times. “Transforming a company into a benefit company,” Badecco deduces, “appears to bring benefits above all in terms of risk perception and brand reputation, thus also generating positive effects on company performance”. He also concludes: “Without considering the context, the effort required of companies to join the ‘For benefit’ model is minimal when one considers the countless advantages that this entrepreneurial choice can generate”.

Società benefit: un passo importante verso un futuro sostenibile e il caso aziendale Illy (Benefit Companies: an important step towards a sustainable future and the Illy business case)

Giuliano Badecco

Thesis, University of Padua, Department of Private Law and Critique of Law,

Bachelor’s Degree course in Employment Consultancy, 2024

A book illustrating the theory and practice of industrial tourism goes to press

Businesses as tourist destinations. For discovering special ‘monuments’, hidden stories, human landscapes and an all-round “cultural” production culture. Factories and production sites that, in this way, open up to the general public to be discovered and tell the story of Italy at work from a particular point of view. The phenomenon is not a new one, but it has still to be studied in depth and, above all, understood in its many aspects, including its practical ones. The analysis of the phenomenon and the different cases pointing to the best ways forward is dealt with in ”Il turismo industriale. Come e perché le imprese del made in Italy possono diventare attrattori turistici” (Industrial Tourism. How and Why Made-in-Italy Enterprises Can Become Tourist Attractors), a book edited by Ettore Ruggiero, which not only outlines the theoretical and practical aspects, but also brings together an important series of case studies.

The book starts from the consideration that in recent years local and regional itineraries, museum networks and real systems of territorial promotion have sprung up in Italy, aimed at helping visitors to get to know Italy, beyond its artistic heritage, through a new cultural approach: the industrial one.

The book tries to answer a number of questions such as what the current and potential market for industrial tourism is, what types of tourists and ‘products’ exist; but also how industrial archaeological sites, museums and business archives, companies of all sectors, small and large, can become tourist attractions.

A true ‘user manual’ for business tourism. The first part then outlines the scenarios to refer to as well as the Made in Italy concept that supports this activity. This section also gives some examples of places to visit and organisations dedicated to the enhancement and study of the phenomenon or to particular related initiatives. The second part, on the other hand, deals with the theme of how the Italian business manages the tourism possibilities it offers, again delving into the role of organisations (such as Museimpresa) and of particular business case studies (Piaggio, Fantoni Group, Acquedotto Pugliese) or of certain sectors that are more suitable than others (such as glass and food). Finally, the third part of the book is presented as a real ‘toolbox for offering a high quality range of products and services’.

Ultimately, the book edited by Ruggiero tells how and why industrial, craft and service businesses can become attractive to visitors and tourists who are often fans of Made in Italy quality, beauty and well-made products. With a kind of ten-step guide to planning and delivering high quality company visits and events, functional to company strategies and local tourism systems. To read and, above all, to use.

Il turismo industriale. Come e perché le imprese del made in Italy possono diventare attrattori turistici

Ettore Ruggiero (ed.)

Franco Angeli, 2024

Spending the time between now and the beginning of June talking about Europe. And striving to understand what we will be voting for when we go to the polls, from the 6th to the 9th, in all 27 EU countries, to renew the European Parliament. What policies we would like, for development, security, the environment, to ensure a better future, for ourselves and for our children and grandchildren. And which parties and which women and men we will delegate this responsibility to.

This is the duty we are facing now, in this age, so uncertain and restless, painful and yet decisive. This is the hope we are holding on to. ‘Now we need to talk about Europe’ was how Corriere della Sera headlined its background article by Goffredo Buccini (27 April). ‘Reverse the decline of Europe‘, prescribed Giorgio Barba Navaretti in la Repubblica (19 April). “How can we save Europe?”, wondered Sergio Fabbrini in Il Sole24Ore (21 April). And so on. One common motive figured in all the many authoritative opinions: we should go to the polls thinking about the elements that will mark the future of this part of the world that has such strong common cultural elements (“La Lettura” of the Corriere della Sera writes about this, talking about music, literature, theatre and figurative arts; 28 April) and that, above all, uniquely, has been able to hold together liberal democracy, market economy and the best welfare system. But that today is up against economic competition from giants such as the US, China and, before long, India too, that is put under pressure by autocracies and does not know how to cope with the overwhelming power of the Tech Giants, the technological multinationals that are disrupting our way of life, for better or worse.

In a nutshell, we should be going to the polls with our common values and interests in mind. And instead, up until now, the political debate, both in Italy and in other EU countries, has mainly focused on local interests, on national and regional power intrigues, on the stories of small and large corporations and clienteles. Meanwhile, there is a surge in the weight of sovereignist and nationalist thoughts which are explicitly calling for ‘less Europe’ and more room for national powers and choices, even from the leaderships of some European countries. And the threats that the weight of these ‘illiberal democracies’ will expand are growing.

“Europe, in spite of everything“, was the hope expressed as early as 2019, in a book of straight-talking essays, published by ‘La nave di Teseo’ and written by Maurizio Ferrera, Piergaetano Marchetti, Alberto Martinelli, Antonio Padoa Schioppa and the editors of this blog, to draw up a critical balance of the EU’s successes and challenges, on the eve of the last European elections. Since then, many dramatic political, social and economic events have radically changed the geopolitical context and the underlying reasons for international competitiveness: the Covid 19 pandemic, Russia’s attack on Ukraine, the conflict in the Middle East, escalating tensions between the US and China, and the breaking down and rebuilding of the traditional value and trade chains. But that hope retains an even more dramatic relevance today: ‘in spite of everything’, either Europe reinforces and relaunches the reasons for the Union and the common policies, starting with the issues of security and sustainable development, or its cracks will get bigger.

“Our Europe today is mortal. It can die. And this depends solely on our choices,’ French President Emmanuel Macron said in a long and heartfelt speech at the Sorbonne on 25 April, proposing a profound political turnaround and finding favour with German Chancellor Scholz: ‘Good ideas to keep Europe strong’.

Europe is neither totem nor taboo, then. Neither legend nor giant. But rather the best destiny we can hope for. One that must be criticised. But not demolished, or pigeonholed into national egoisms, bureaucratic rigidities or vague declarations of good intentions. This wise saying from southern Italy comes to mind: ‘the Bank of Naples won’t pawn idle chatter and wooden snuffboxes’. The Europe we need, in a time of emergency, is anything but a club of idle talk and rabble-rousing.

A political challenge, then. A carefully planned one. As the President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella well knows when (Corriere della Sera, 22 April) he calculated that 400 million Europeans will go to the urns next June, he hopes for ‘a great participation because this is how we become the protagonist of our own future’ and urges ‘the institutions’ that will be elected to ‘ensure that Europe becomes a protagonist and not just a spectator of this season’ with ‘courageous reforms’.

Over the past few days, the document presented by president of the Delors Foundation Enrico Letta, on the single market, and Mario Draghi’s anticipations on the study on competitiveness (both commissioned by President of the EU Commission Ursula von der Leyen) have indicated the outlines of the choices to be made to hold together the ‘green transition’ with economic development in a perspective of sustainability and to be able to withstand, as the EU, the pressures coming from the US and China, on the major issues of security, energy and the digital economy, by insisting above all on AI (Artificial Intelligence).

A single market for capital, telecommunications, and defence, in short (‘What we need now is a European defence, between NATO and the EU’, explained Marta Dassù, la Repubblica, 27 April). And European investments, both by increasing the weight of the EU budget and by going to the financial markets, such as the EU, to find resources to invest. With the Eurobonds, which were already dear to Delors’ heart in the 1980s. And other common financial instruments.

The figures are impressive: more than 800 billion a year for at least the next ten years, both for the green deal (and for the welfare measures needed to cope with the social costs of the transition, starting with the consequences for jobs and business resilience) and for security.

There is, of course, some degree of resistance. Small countries fear for the loss of sovereignty (and privileges) in the event of a single capital market. The ‘Northerners’ are wary when it comes to investments and new debts shared with the countries in the South. Many, especially on the right, view a strengthening of the Union with suspicion. And many fear that an ‘ideological’ application of the green deal will put a large part of European industry out of the competitive game. Well-founded fears and good reasons are intertwined with nationalist defences and concerns about the end of an expansion of public spending used to ‘buy consensus’ (many look with suspicion at Italy, which is in serious difficulty with its accounts also due to the devastating effects of the building ‘superbonus’).

The June vote could bring clarity, with the election of a European Parliament and then an EU Commission capable of carrying out those ‘courageous reforms‘ that President Mattarella mentioned, and of making the essential political choices required to ensure that Europe is not ‘crushed’ by the economic and political strength of the US and China.

To get our bearings, also in view of the vote, some recent reflections may be useful. That of the Governor of the Bank of Italy Fabio Panetta (il Sole24Ore, 24 April). Or the proposals put forward by Marco Buti and Marcello Messori on the green and digital transition and the need for Europe to overcome its current ‘low productivity’ condition (Il Sole24Ore, 21 April). Or the call made by Emma Marcegaglia, president of the B7 (the group of companies from the G7 countries) for ‘a global agreement to accelerate the green transition’ (Il Sole24Ore, 28 April), also using the Eurobonds. Let’s take a closer look.

Panetta (‘A new star of anti-populism’, according to Il Foglio, 24 April) argues that, without giving in to protectionism, we must ‘strengthen the European economy along three main directions: rebalancing its development model; guaranteeing its strategic autonomy; adapting its capacity to provide for its external security and empowering its role in the international debate’. How? For Panetta too, the answer lies in leveraging the Eurobonds.

And the ECB? It will have to go beyond the boundaries of responsibility for currency and inflation and ‘be able to look to the future’. In other words, it is analogous, in difficult times, to that ‘whatever it takes’ strategy with which Mario Draghi, as ECB president, saved the euro and the European economy at the time of the post-Covid crisis.

Buti and Messori insist on the need to ‘differentiate the European strategy from China’s monopolistic choices and US protectionism’. And they propose the production and financing of ‘European public goods’ (EPGs) in both economic and geopolitical fields: for common industrial and social policies, for innovation and, of course, for security. A strategy. Which is articulated in projects. And finds financing on the market. Cue the Eurobonds again.

These are precisely the themes found in the Letta report and which we will hear again with the Draghi report. Which resonate in Panetta’s speech. And which are beginning to be reflected both in the stances of Macron’s France and of Germany, which is unfortunately still looking for a way to get its economy out of the current crisis.

These are issues in which Italy in particular can play a fundamental role. It is one of the great founding countries of Europe, but it cannot raise concerns about domination such as those raised by France and Germany. It has always shown an attitude of dialogue with the other European countries, but also with the nations outside the EU, starting with the Mediterranean area. And its strength lies in a system of flexible, open, competitive companies that are well integrated in several global value chains. It can do a lot, in short. With innovative ideas. And roles of responsibility. As long as we do not fall into sovereignist temptations and refusals to act due to propagandist reasons, irresponsible public spending and nationalist views. An Italy that is good at being Italy and that takes charge of Europe’s welfare and, therefore, of its own destiny.

(Photo Getty Images)

Milan, in all its immaculate splendour the day after Design Week and the Salone del Mobile; Milan, the cornerstone of international creativity and innovation; Milan, factory and showcase; Milan, once again, attractive and pulsing with energy.

Quite rightly we can play around with all the rhetoric of records and superlatives – even just by reeling off the numbers: over 350,000 visitors to the Salone and Fuorisalone, 1,950 exhibitors from all over the world, more than 1,300 events and an economic impact of 261 million euros, an increase of 13.7% on 2023. A bustle of activity not only in the heart of the city (Brera, the University area, Porta Venezia, the Arco della Pace at Parco Sempione, the Triennale and the ADI Design Museum and via Durini), but also around the Navigli, via Tortona, via Sarpi (Chinatown), NoLo (North of Loreto, that is, via Padova – a trendy, gentrified neighborhood), Scalo Farini and Lambrate, Mecenate and Assago, and so on…

In short, the whole city – streets and squares, palaces and courtyards – extending outwards, for the first time, to the outskirts and Varedo. Bright and surprising installations, nostalgic memories of revered masters such as Alessandro Mendini and Cini Boeri, tributes to the sustainability of the furnishings and the installations themselves. All bound up with a great passion for the colour green in all its shades.

And add in the great to-and-fro with the other two contemporary events, Vinitaly in Verona and, above all, the Biennale in Venice. Flutes and toasts, inaugurations and parties, “A Salone stretching from the sea to the mountains. A real mixed bag”, as Michele Masneri writes, employing a delicious culinary pun in the original Italian (Il Foglio, 16 April).

Rude health all round then? Well, certainly. The important thing, however, is not to delude ourselves that yet another well-deserved success involving an event as great as Design Week is sufficient to resolve Milan’s many ongoing problems or the increasingly frequent signs of crisis in a metropolis that has reached a key stage in its life.

This is a “crisis” and not a “decline”, if we are to insist on semantics, on the deeper meaning of the word: a state of change that might evolve in alternate directions, a ridge separating two different paths leading down either side of the slope, a flour sifter dividing precious wheat and ryegrass waste, weiji in the Chinese alphabet – “danger” and “opportunity” would be a rough translation – or, to be more precise, a “crucial passage”, that is, the time when something begins or something changes.

Here we are, then. Milan is at a watershed moment, surrounded by original ways to renew its ability to be simultaneously competitive and socially inclusive, by opportunities to either boost the kind of attractiveness that polarises and excludes people or to build an economic dynamic limited not only to growth (more business, more money, more instant glitter and ephemeral wealth) but also to the (sustainable, naturally) development of the environment and society. Milan, in short, is facing up to the responsibility of a better future (the Centro Studi Grande Milano association, chaired by Daniela Mainini, has been passionately discussing this for some time).

The debate is, of course, wide-ranging. It concerns the role of metropolises, the future of the knowledge economy, and therefore also of universities, the strategies of companies and Milan’s trade fair district (an economic hub that could take on a role of increasing significance, as a centre for services and a laboratory of ideas). And, above all, it addresses the elements behind a radical social question: how to reconcile the creative logic of competition with the need to break down the inequalities amplified by that logic, if it is not properly governed by welfare policies, urban planning choices and ambitious fiscal and cultural choices.

Aside from the event-related aspects of the various shows, Milan, together with Venice, is preparing for a couple of strategic dates related to the fate of cities: the International Exhibition at the Triennale dedicated to the topic of: “Inequalities. How to mend the fractures of humanity” from May to November 2025 and, in the same period, the next Venice Biennale of Architecture to discuss the concentration of wealth, and therefore inequalities, in metropolises and megalopolises, climate crises, the effective use of artificial intelligence-driven data on flows of people, goods and ideas, and therefore democracy, the circular economy and, indeed, sustainable development (Stefano Boeri, president of the Triennale, and Carlo Ratti, an expert in smart cities at MIT in Boston and curator of the Venice Biennale, discuss this in La Repubblica, 21 April).

It all comes down to the essential function of urban planning and good politics to redesign cities. Starting with Milan. And, as Federica Verona also suggests, this needs to start right from the success of the Salone del Mobile (“Big numbers are not enough, we need projects that endure”, La Repubblica, 20 April) and Dario Di Vico (“The Salone’s upcoming challenges: Milan must continue to be inclusive and attractive”, Corriere della Sera, 21 April).

The fact that Milan is a large university city, with over 200,000 students from the rest of Italy and, increasingly, from abroad, is a great advantage in regards to the strength of its research and ideas. And the fact that there are three women at the helm of Milan’s main public universities may also have a significant impact, providing original solutions to problems. Indeed, Marina Brambilla has just been elected rector of the University of Milan, with Giovanna Iannantuoni at Bicocca and Donatella Sciuto at the Politecnico. The key is to guarantee students, researchers and university professors housing and living costs that do not force them to leave Milan or live there in discomfort, breeding annoyance and hostility.

The Municipality’s social housing projects and the commitment of a multinational property company like Hines (“A city with the right dreams. Milan’s new cycle will be a mix of the market and welfare: student accommodation and housing,” stated Mario Abbadessa, the American group’s head of Italy, in Il Foglio, 11 April) suggest that steps are being taken towards a better civic dimension as regards living and accommodation. Of course, this is in marked contrast to the hype of luxury property transactions, such as the 1.3 billion-euro purchase by Francois Pinault’s fashion group, Kering, of a building in Via Montenapoleone, now the second most expensive street in the world after New York’s Fifth Avenue (as estimated by Cushman & Wakefield, Il Sole24Ore, April 5).

When it comes to the property sector, the market, naturally, does what it is designed to do. But a metropolis, a living organism – a civitas and not just urbs (structures, streets, buildings) – cannot be left to the mercy of market dynamics alone. It needs wise policy-making, efficient public administration, far-sighted urban planning and a solid culture of innovation and social inclusion. If it fails in this it will lose the basic characteristics of Milan, its supportive nature, and therefore, in the long run the city’s very beauty and attractiveness.

Health, environment, quality of life and sustainable development: these are common themes for that highly developed and economically and culturally dynamic area that encompasses the North West, Lombardy, Emilia and the North East – the productive heart of Europe with an original and robust social capital comprising companies, universities, banks, cultural and research facilities and institutions and organisations with a broad range of civic virtues (we wrote about it in the 3 April blog).

The mayors of the Po Valley municipalities (Turin, Bologna, Treviso, Venice, etc., in addition to Milan, with 23 million citizens calculated to live in this large area) are currently discussing this, in Milan, appropriately, for the occasion of Earth Day. And the mayor of Milan sums it up as follows: “In our future, we see green mobility and multi-centric cities” (La Repubblica, 21 April). We will see.

(Photo Getty Images)

A study of immigrant entrepreneurs outlines the importance of relational capital

Immigrant and entrepreneur: not a rarity but, rather, a reality that now has numerous important expressions in Italy. But, even in these cases, it is a matter of an enterprising culture transforming itself into an ability to get things done. With an added element: the relational capital that immigrants bring with them. Understanding the value of relational capital is, then, crucial to studying entrepreneurship as practised by foreign-born individuals.

Paola Paoloni (Università degli Studi La Sapienza, Rome), Federico De Andreis (Università Giustino Fortunato, Benevento) and Armando Papa (Università degli Studi di Teramo, Teramo) have undertaken research work that revolves around these concepts, recently published under the title Capital and Immigrant Entrepreneurship in Italy.

The study, as they explain, aims to investigate the quantitative dimension of foreign-owned entrepreneurship in Italy, identify the drivers of this phenomenon and examine the value of relational capital for the creation and development of immigrant-owned enterprises. In other words, this is a comprehensive investigation that first focuses on the salient features of what is happening, then looks at the elements that are contributing to the growth of immigrant entrepreneurship before analysing the contribution of particular relational capacities.

Indeed, the authors point precisely to this particular human approach as an “intangible asset in the development of foreign companies”. The idea behind the investigation is that relational capital enables start-ups to overcome their main difficulties: the organisational aspect and their financial capacity. Although constrained by the limited number of cases analysed, the research by Paoloni, De Andreis and Papa provides an initial description of an increasingly significant phenomenon in Italy and, above all, indicates how we can gain a better understanding of that capacity for human relations which, not only for immigrants, ultimately remains the real difference between success and failure. For businesses too.

Capital and immigrant entrepreneurship in Italy

Paola Paoloni (Università degli Studi “La Sapienza” Roma), Federico De Andreis (Università “Giustino Fortunato”, Benevento), Armando Papa (Università degli Studi di Teramo, Teramo)

International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, April 2024

A recently published book features 12 essays that help us to understand Italy in the period from 1992 to 2022

An awareness of history – including recent history – gives us a better understanding of where and how we are living and, above all, of our direction of travel. This is always a useful lesson to remember, even for those who do business. And that’s why it’s useful to read: L’Italia al bivio. Classi dirigenti alla prova del cambiamento1992-2022 (Italy at a Crossroads. The Ruling Classes Grappling with Change 1992-2022), edited by Franco Amatori, Pietro Modiano and Edoardo Reviglio.

The book is, as the title indicates, a collection of essays whose aim is to take stock of 30 years of Italian history. The picture they paint is not only economic in nature – or even that much – but also social and political. And they all share a special quality: the

12 essays are written by those who witnessed events directly or have studied them in depth, and each one provides an account of the period in question and an interpretation. The focus is on the so-called “ruling classes” that governed the country over the three decades.

The following topics are covered by the 12 essays: failed reforms and public debt (Mario Perugini, Roberto Artoni); Mani Pulite (Clean Hands) and the turning point of 1992 (Pietro Modiano, Giuliano Amato); the great era of privatisation (Franco Amatori, Ruggiero Ranieri, Marco Onado, Edoardo Reviglio, Franco Bernabé); the turning point in industrial relations (Stefano Musso, Sergio Cofferati); the crisis of the old equilibrium and the new economic protagonists (Marco Doria, Andrea Colli, Innocenzo Cipolletta, Franco Amatori, Ilaria Sangalli, Aldo Fumagalli Romario); the enduring North/South divide (Leandra D’Antone, Gianfranco Viesti, Renato Quaglia); and our inadequacies in the face of the global challenge (Piarluigi Ciocca, Laura Pennacchi). The book closes with a long interview with Romano Prodi who pulls the threads of all the various contributions together.

But how, then, do we view the sum of three such troubled decades? From the analyses in the book, a negative assessment of what was done and achieved emerges. The opinion that the book forms is that the period could have led in a different direction, had the ruling classes been equal to the historical moment.

Like any book that sets out to put the record straight, L’Italia al bivio also provokes discussion, inspires debate and accepts that not everyone who reads it will agree. And that is why this work, edited by Amatori, Modiano and Reviglio, is worth reading and re-reading.

L’Italia al bivio. Classi dirigenti alla prova del cambiamento1992-2022 (Italy at a Crossroads. The Ruling Classes Grappling with Change 1992-2022)

Franco Amatori, Pietro Modiano, Edoardo Reviglio (ed.)

Franco Angeli, 2024