Still today, the P Zero is a legend, associated with power, design and speed. It ultimately derived from the P7, the brainchild of the engineer Mario Mezzanotte, which also made its mark in racing. The road version of the P Zero came onto the market in 1987, a year after the launch of the Ferrari F40, with a structure that is actually highly complex but that is designed to ensure top performance at all times. In 1994 the P Zero family underwent another major evolution with the introduction of the P Zero System, which immediately became part of an international version of the Power is nothing without control advertising campaign created by Young & Rubicam with the athlete Carl Lewis as the endorser. Here the front and rear tread pattern are directly derived from the world of racing.

They were specially designed to counter aquaplaning and were first used exclusively on supercars for road use and later on very high performance cars on the track. In practice, the P Zero could now be used as much on a Ferrari as on a Volkswagen Golf or a BMW. And this led to the What you drive is your business, what you drive on is ours (1995) campaign and to Pirelli. Sizin için, sizinle (Pirelli: With you, for you, 1989), P Zero the Hero (1996-7) and To build a winning car you need to start from Zero (2001). But the story of P Zero Collection does not end here. In 2003 came the P Zero Corsa System, which was specially created for the road-going Ferrari Challenge, drawing on the experience of the Ferrari 360 GT in Gran Turismo.

It was the young model Naomi Campbell, at the height of her career, who the following year unveiled Planet Zero, a range that includes the P Zero System, P Zero Rosso, P Zero Nero, P Zero Corsa and – for large SUVs – the Scorpion Zero. In July 2023, the family acquired a new member: the P Zero E, a distillation of technology and sustainability that draws on the most recent technological innovations created for sustainable electric mobility. It has already achieved results never previously obtained in the UHP tyre market. Then there is the P Zero R, designed for ultra high performance supercars, and the top-of-the-range P Zero Trofeo RS, for track use by hypercars. The P Zero has never stopped evolving, making it always the most advanced on the market and, still today, it is the company’s poster product in terms of top performance, dynamic qualities and versatility.

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The 1930s were the golden years of motor sport. And, indeed, Pirelli’s focus on the world of racing and speed reached the very highest levels during this period. Race after race, the development of tyre technology really took off. Leading the way was the innovation brought about by the Cord, a rubberised fabric that eliminated the problem of friction between the cords in traditional fabrics, ensuring greater resistance and durability. The Cord, which was further perfected in the low-pressure Superflex version, earned Pirelli numerous victories together with Fiat and Alfa Romeo. This can be seen in the fame of the Superflex Cord, with which the Quadrifoglio won its first title in 1924 upon its entry into the world of the Grand Prix. This created a perfect triangulation with Pirelli and with the racing champions of the time: Antonio Ascari, Gastone Brilli-Peri, and Giuseppe Campari.

Europe was emerging from the First World War and the economic recovery of the Roaring Twenties meant that technological research was entering a new era. Cars were still a rare sight on European roads. They were mostly luxury or sports cars, which are still today among the most sought after by collectors. Jewels of Italian industry that deserve tyres worthy of their performance and prestige. This was the dawn of the Stella Bianca, the first cross-ply tyre. It was so innovative that it became part of the evolution of mass mobility from the 1920s to the 1950s, and it wrested the title as the “Victory Tyre” from the Superflex Cord.

The Stella Bianca introduced a more complex tread pattern than those of previous models, giving it greater grip at high speeds, especially on slippery or wet roads. This meant it was perfect for compact cars, but also for sports cars and vans.

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After the great successes in rally racing, especially at Montecarlo, the focus shifted to the Formula One circuits. This was partly due to the amazing results achieved by Lotus and Toleman in free practice on the San Marino circuit in 1984. When Pirelli returned to racing, one of the technicians of the English team was said to be “a very good test driver who, despite his very young age is able to provide a lot of information about how the car and the tyres behave”. His name was Ayrton Senna. In 1985 Toleman was taken over by Benetton and, the following year, Pirelli returned to the circuits for three years (1986-9), equipping Brabham, Dallara, Minardi and Zakspeed. Pirelli’s strategy was to work with smaller teams, which could act as testers, experimenting with new ideas and technologies and studying the relationship between man and machine in view of a greater commitment that started in 1991. This was the year when Pirelli approached Benetton, for which Michael Schumacher was second driver. The top-of-the-range ultra-low-profile tyre was now mounted on the cars of each individual team until, in 2011, Pirelli became the sole supplier for the Championship.

This was the greatest stage the P Zero had ever been on. Now, thanks to their success, Pirelli tyres have become synonymous with Formula 1. And, of course, there is that little stylistic detail: the name P Zero in bright colours on the side wall of the tyre, which makes the range instantly recognisable. Just a few years later, this was to acquire a very special meaning on the tracks. In 2022, Pirelli offered Formula One drivers a total of six different compounds – two for each of the three P Zero slick tyres for dry tracks and for high temperatures (Red, Yellow and White). Over time, racing fans have learnt that each colour corresponds to a compound and thus to a strategic decision declared by each racing team based on the particular circuit and on the driver’s style and the environmental conditions.

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The reliability of the Stella Bianca made it a symbol of what became known as the Golden Age of Racing and the benchmark component for the Italian automotive industry, to the point that in the early years of the decade over 80% of cars sold in Italy were fitted with Pirelli tyres. The Fiat Topolino, for example, was fitted with Stella Bianca tyres right from its launch in 1936. The unusual tread pattern was at the heart of the advertising of those years: it  took centre stage, playing the lead role in large format scenes that focused on the theme of speed. These were the years of the historic avant-gardes and Pirelli, which kept a close eye on innovative forms of communication, found in Futurism the perfect visual approach to promote the powerful, sporty and rugged “Victory Tyre”. In later years, the Stella Bianca also returned in more streamlined graphics and photo shoots at the highest artistic levels.

One fine example of this was created by the photographer Federico Patellani and published in Pirelli magazine in 1950 on the occasion of the Monza Grand Prix. This was where the young Nino Farina claimed victory in the very first World Championship in the history of Formula One, aboard his Alfa Romeo 158 fitted with Stella Bianca tyres. The camera is used in an unusual and unexpected way, for the protagonists of this shoot are the mechanics in the pits, the tyre checks, and the partnership with Carlo Borrani’s prestigious company for the manufacture of light duralumin rims. Our eyes are drawn to the Pirelli overalls and caps worn by the mechanics. In just a few precise shots, Patellani – who is known for his post-war shoots – managed to capture what went on behind the scenes at the historic race on the legendary Italian circuit, the most coveted by Formula One drivers after Silverstone.

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The Premio Campiello Junior, the literary accolade jointly established by Pirelli, the Pirelli Foundation and the Fondazione Il Campiello, is back once more. The prestigious award for Italian works of fiction and poetry tailored for young readers aims to encourage reading and help facilitate access to literature among the very young.

This year, the third edition kicks off with some changes in the Selection Jury. The new President will be Pino Boero. Born in Genoa in 1949, Boero has been a full professor of Children’s Literature and Reading Pedagogy at the University of Genoa, Dean of the Faculty of Education and pro-rector of Education at the same institution. On the international stage, he has lectured and supervised doctoral theses at universities and training institutions in France, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Sweden, Serbia, Argentina, Brazil, Korea, and Spain. A seasoned scholar and critic, Pino Boero has maintained a profound interest in children’s literature since the 1970s, contributing to many magazines and publishing several books on the subject.

Pirelli, the Pirelli Foundation and the Fondazione Il Campiello extend their heartfelt gratitude to the writer Roberto Piumini, President of the Jury for the first two editions of the Premio Campiello Junior.

The following are confirmed as members of the Jury: Chiara Lagani, actress and playwright; Michela Possamai, professor at the IUSVE University of Venice, former member of the Campiello Giovani Technical Committee; and David Tolin, bookseller and Board member of ALIR.

Fondazione Il Campiello, Pirelli and the Pirelli Foundation also thank Prof. Martino Negri for his contribution to the Jury in recent years.

Once again, this year’s Award is divided into two distinct categories: one for primary school readers, aged 7-10, in classes III, IV and V, and another for lower secondary school readers, aged 11-14, in classes I, II and III. The true protagonists of the Readers’ Jury will be young people from across Italy but also from abroad. It is they who will select the winners, whose names will be announced on 22 March 2024.

The Pirelli Foundation will be organising educational workshops on reading and books both for these young jurors and for all young bibliophiles,

To remain informed about the Premio Campiello Junior and its associated events, please visit www.fondazionepirelli.org and www.premiocampiello.org.

A thesis debated at the University of Padua summarises topics of lifelong learning and teambuilding

Businesses are made of individuals who, every day, work together towards a shared goal, with efficiency but also paying attention to the territory and the world. This is, after all, the key essence of good corporate culture, culture that, through different means, is making inroads within production organisations – caring for the human aspect of a company (and thus attain, more often than not, that kind of industrial humanism we are all striving for).

These are the themes that inform Eleonora Francesconi’s thesis, debated at the University of Padua’s School of Psychology.

Entitled “Lifelong Learning e Teambuilding: analisi storica e metodologie formative” (“Lifelong learning and teambuilding: historical analysis and training methods”), this work provides an excellent overview of one of the key aspects of doing good business: people’s training.

As Francesconi writes, “Conceiving human resources as the human capital of a company and as part of its wealth leads to invest in it, in order to make it more profitable in both professional and personal terms.” – avoiding, however, any pointlessly patronising attitudes. Thus, the particular attention to human resources is explained and analysed starting from the notion that this corporate function is a “genuine labour policy tool whose aim is to ease employment and work organisation in line with scientific and technological development.” In other words, training is a means to become more efficient and productive, as well as to grow in both individual and professional terms.

Francesconi’s study starts by outlining the topic through its historic and social analysis, before promptly refining relevant training tools and methods, and then focusing on the “group building” aspects that must follow.

Furthermore, this is not a purely theoretical work, as it also includes three case studies narrated by three corporate human resources managers and consultants.

Eleonora Francesconi’s study may not be adding anything new to the topic of appropriate training and people management in enterprises, but nonetheless has the merit of providing an effective outline of a complex and diverse theme, and thus acts as a good “guidebook” that contributes to a better understanding of the subject.

Lifelong Learning e Teambuilding: analisi storica e metodologie formative (“Lifelong learning and teambuilding: historical analysis and training methods”)

Eleonora Francesconi

Thesis, University of Padua, School of Psychology, Degree in social and work psychological sciences, 2023

The latest book by Gianmario Verona analyses the complexities of our times and provides a method to tackle them

Aware and attentive individuals, able to comprehend and thus choose the right path – all business people should know how to do this, especially today. Yet, though this is a goal that all could attain, in reality only a few succeed in doing so, even in such complex and difficult times such as ours, when the ability to first observe and then make a suitable decision represents a winning factor, for companies, too.

It is around this tangle of topics that Gianmario Verona – professor of economy and corporate management at the Bocconi University in Milan, of which he also used to be dean – wrote his Capaci di decidere. Prospettive e buone pratiche dai leader di oggi per i leader di domani (Decision-making skills. Prospects and good practices of today’s leaders aimed at tomorrow’s leaders), a recently published work that aptly succeeds in answering a question: are we still able to make decisions?

Observing real life is a key point. There are so many factors at play today that their intermingling leads to unpredictability – whether we apply it to the macro context of economic and geopolitical settings or to the micro context where enterprises, institutions and professionals have had to acquire skills and knowledge unimaginable only a few years ago, complexity is what distinguishes our era. Thus, the employment and production spheres are in need of completely new policies.

The author tries to meet this need by applying his own experience: on the one hand, his six-year-long career as dean of the Milanese university (from 2016 to 2022) and, on the other, the contributions he collected through 50 interviews with 50 executives sharing their thoughts on what may characterise the decision-making process of modern managers, if not of policy makers. The content is organised along three main areas: the development of digital tools, the need to take sustainability into consideration, and the essential role played by human capital.

The narrative background ranges from a retelling of the Twin Towers’ tragedy to the onset of the pandemic and the war in Ukraine, leading to the realisation that the common thread is increased complexity, which therefore we must learn to tackle.

The narrative – dramatic at times – begins by describing the small pieces of information reaching the author at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, before leading readers through various stages: an analysis of “complexity and decisions” and how those three main areas inform our actions. The main message is clear: before attempting to solve a problem, it is important to first analyse it in depth and fully understand it. In other words, as Verona explains, complexity must be comprehended before we can resolve it. We need to know how to adequately interpret it, invest time in piecing together the context and dedicate resources in order to define the scope of action – without forgetting how important it is to work together, and also employing the latest Artificial Intelligence technologies. The book is further enhanced by QR codes, which provide access to the 50 executive chats the author had with 50 CEOs and managers of great national and international companies sharing their ideas on the future and on corporate governance.

Capaci di decidere. Prospettive e buone pratiche dai leader di oggi per i leader di domani (Decision-making skills. Prospects and good practices of today’s leaders aimed at tomorrow’s leaders)

Gianmario Verona

Egea

2023

“The factory of ideas” – this is Renzo Piano‘s captivating description for the large space he’s designing at the heart of the Port of Genoa: a three-storey building right in the Waterfront di Levante, conceived to house research centres and innovative startups, in collaboration with Columbia University, the Polytechnic University of Milan, the Normale public university in Pisa and the universities of Paris and Genoa. “A concept can be manufactured, too. This is why we need a seedbed where new entrepreneurial activities can blossom”, insists Piano, referring to the intellectual and economic relationships interlinking across the north-west region of Italy, driven by a strong belief in the creation of sustainable development linking Europe and the Mediterranean area.

Piano has been very busy in this part of the world – renovation projects pertaining the Port of Genoa (where he still retains one of his main studios); the “Spina” development, i.e. the Pirelli industrial plant in Settimo Torinese, a bright and transparent “beautiful factory” set amongst cherry trees; the Intesa San Paolo skyscraper in Porta Susa in Turin; the former Il Sole24Ore building and the new Polytechnic University campus in Milan. Experienced as he is in civic architecture, he’s fully aware of how productive territories can become sites for enhanced growth, taking into consideration environmental and social sustainability as well as a more balanced and, at the same time, competitive European context.

Piano’s project, then, could inject new energy into the more general plans that have been debated by entrepreneurs in Turin, Milan and Genoa, by the leaders of Confindustria‘s three entrepreneurial organisations and by the three cities’ councils, banking institutions and universities, all aiming to join forces as part of a strategy to boost production and competitiveness in an area that drove the Italian financial boom in the 1950s and 1960s.

Nicknamed the “industrial triangle” in the past, it now goes by the acronym “MiToGeNo”, a combination of the Greek terms for “thread” (míto) and “to generate” (genein“), emphasising the focus on stimulating development and growth, and thus prove, as per a study by Prometeia, the benefits of working together.

Indeed, those territories generate almost 20% of Italy’s GDP and 60% of the entire wealth produced in the north east, thanks to the activities of 730,000 enterprises employing 3.5 million people. The manufacturing industry is their key asset, worth over 213 billion and closely tied to the logistics related to the Port of Genoa, while the turnover deriving from the so-called “knowledge economy” and “health economy” – the key pillars of economic and social growth – amounts to a further 170 billion.

And, in mid-July, some significant news corroborated the continued strengthening of this industry: Carlos Tavares, CEO of Stellantis, in agreement with the Italian government, committed to have up to 1 million cars manufactured in the country, thus overturning the current declining manufacturing trend and doubling production. An agreement that “demands an unprecedented rush”, as headlined by Il Sole24Ore (16 July) and that will relaunch the entire automotive sector, starting in Turin and the Piedmont region and then spreading to all territories involved in the supply chain, from the Lombardy region to the so-called “Motor Valley” in Emilia-Romagna, as well as traders in the north east and specialised areas in the south of Italy.

If we were to look at a map showing the interconnections between manufacturing supply chains (not merely for the automotive, but also for the aerospace, mechatronics, robotics and chemistry industries, ‘Made in Italy’ sectors such as agrifood, furnishing and fashion), high-tech services, the financial relationships revolving around the three main Italian banking institutions (Intesa Sanpaolo, UniCredit and BPM), the research and educational structures devoted to the “knowledge economy”, life sciences networks, and all tangible and intangible infrastructures, we’d plainly see that this is one of the most competitive systems in Europe, closely linked with all production areas situated in the so-called “mega region” lying along the A1/A4 motorways.

This really seems to be a new era for the automotive industry, not only marked by Stellantis’s commitment but also by the focus applied by the other great German and French manufacturers in fostering reshoring within Europe – conceived now as a great production platform – which, also driven by sophisticated technological innovation and productivity, is also reviving the north west of Italy as a key actor in the country’s industrial recovery. Indeed, this is a territory rich in medium and large companies, the most suited to cope with the demands of the environmental and digital twin transition and to best take advantage of the opportunities offered by Artificial Intelligence, as by extending the process to their production chains, they actually steer smaller suppliers onto a path leading to high-quality manufacturing.

Such a path requires robust investments in both innovation (after all, innovation is what enterprises do, and should be encouraged in this by appropriate fiscal measures, such as the one that eased the transition to Industry 4.0) and, of course, infrastructures – the PNRR (Italian recovery and resilience plan) is certainly a key tool to achieve this.

In fact, thanks to studies undertaken by Prometeia, entrepreneurial associations Assolombarda, Unione Industriali Torino and Confindustria Genova have established that the impact of the PNRR on the territories – an impact currently amounting to 28.6 billion in terms of businesses – could rise to 36.7 billion if all possible collaboration opportunities are exploited: those between public and private sectors, local authorities, universities, research centres and foundations, all leading to a more effective investment of available resources.

Which infrastructures should we invest in? Well, we should strengthen those involved in the logistical activities connected to the Port of Genoa, which would improve links with industrial areas in the Liguria, Piedmont and Lombardy regions; the Third Railway Pass, which would boost the remaining network for the European Corridor 5; the high-speed railway between Turin and Lyon; the motorway tunnel in the Susa Valley; and so on. As part of their dialogue with entrepreneurs, mayors Beppe Sala in Milan, Stefano Lorusso in Turin and Marco Bucci in Genoa, have declared to be ready to play their part in engaging with the Italian government and the EU Commission in Brussels. Moreover, the three regional councillors – Guido Guidesi for Lombardy, Andrea Benvenuti for Liguria and Andrea Tronzano for Piedmont – are very aware of the strategic significance of this North-West project (“Green light for the 2.0 industrial triangle agreement” headlined la Repubblica on 18 July).

Underlying it all, is a “polytechnic culture” strongly rooted in economic and industrial history, as well as embodying future prospectives. A corporate culture that ties together manufacturing, finance and services into a number of top-quality, globally-inspired training paths as well as widespread awareness in sustainability. All dimensions that are based on firmly interwoven values generating economic and social wealth. A key driver for employment, innovation and, indeed, development – and one to be harnessed in a much more effective way.

(Photo by Stefano Guidi/Getty Images)

A recently published study retraces 40 years of analyses on factories and labourers

Going back to the history of labour in order to better understand our current circumstances and therefore sow good seeds for the future. Retrieving the knowledge of past events to better comprehend the present is not a new concept, though it remains a valid one, especially in these modern times marked by growing complexities. As always, guides providing an overview of the situation are more than welcome, and guidance is indeed what Pietro Causarano’s work entitled “Da un secolo all’altro: leggere il lavoro industriale” (“From a century to the other: reading industrial labour”) gives us, a contribution included in a recently published collection of papers about labour.

Causarano’s work offers an outline of the main studies that, over approximately the past 40 years, attempted to interpret and explain industrial labour. A period, it should be noted, that is not far from ours, though its beginnings go farther back in time. In fact, the last decades of the 20th century saw the old industrial models crumbling, while new and not yet fully defined ones emerged amongst international and local market crises.

Thus, the author reviews this period by looking at various studies and illustrating the main features that linked them to the debate that distinguished that era. What arises is the narrative of evolving interpretations and research in industrial and labour events in Italy, a narrative that also reveals changes in corporate culture. The shift from Fordism and Taylorism retraced by Causarano also shows a path (not always an easy one) leading to a different concept of industry and industrial relations – a path that is truly coming into its own only now, taking us towards increasingly complex corporate models that, nonetheless, more genuinely represent our times. A production culture that evolves in unison with the society from which it takes shape.

Da un secolo all’altro: leggere il lavoro industriale  (“From a century to the other: reading industrial labour”)

Pietro Causarano, in Fabrizio Loreto, Gilda Zazzara (curated by) Fondato sul lavoro. Scritti per Stefano Musso (Founded on labour. Writings for Stefano Musso), University of Turin, Department of Historical studies, 2022, 3-16

Narrating Giuliano Zuccoli’s vicissitudes as a means to better understand the history of a crucial Italian sector

The meaning of doing business can be grasped through the stories of those who used to do business – stories full of humanity, dreams, projects, failures and victories; stories, even so – stories telling of how ingenuity can serve a purpose (not necessarily that of profit at any cost); stories we should all know about, as stories are also the elements of good corporate culture.

This is why reading the book that Biagio Longo has dedicated to Giuliano Zuccoli – the Italian energy sector’s undisputed protagonist for decades – can be very useful. Entitled Giuliano Zuccoli. L’energia che ci manca (Giuliano Zuccoli. The energy we lack), and recently published, its lengthy subtitle tells it all: Una vita per l’autonomia energetica del Paese dalla Falck a Sondel, dalla Aem alla Edison e A2A (A life dedicated to energy independence for Italy, from Falck to Sondel, from AEM to Edison and A2A). A book published in a special period with regards to energy, no doubt, though this should not be the only reason for reading it, as Zuccoli was an entrepreneur with vision who, starting with a hydroelectric plant in the Valtelline Valley, ended up founding what today is the second energy and environmental hub in Italy: A2A.

Longo, however, has not merely produced an essay on industrial economy or energy, but has accomplished something more significant – he narrated a life. As such, readers are led along a path that saw a young engineer working in a local dam in the Valtelline Valley rising, step after step, to the national and international summits of such a delicate and strategic sector – the story of a life, then, throughout which the author juxtaposes Zuccoli’s personal vicissitudes to his professional ones.

This also helps us understand the extent of Zuccoli’s achievements, especially today, as we face a global energy and environmental crisis exacerbated by the war in Ukraine: circumstances that seem to add prophetic power to the engineer’s words and actions.

When the narrative turns into essay, readers are regaled with a complete collection of documentation that also includes Zuccoli’s main communication tool, through which he disclosed, stage by stage, the progress of his industrial project: the “Letter to Stakeholders” that used to accompany the Annual Reports, through which we can glimpse in between the lines, year after year (from 1996 to 2011), the unique industrial plan he devised with the aim of inspiring and actualising energy independence for the country. A book by Biagio Longo that certainly demands careful reading.

Giuliano Zuccoli. L’energia che ci manca (Giuliano Zuccoli. The energy we lack)

Biagio Longo

Guerini e Associati, 2023