Keynote speaker on Biodiversity Innovation at the TEHA Technology Forum 2025
I am very happy to inform you that I will attend the upcoming Ambrosetti House Technology Forum in Stresa, as Chief Innovation Officer of the…
Read MoreTalks
#Fuoriclasse: My blog on Sole24Ore Nova
Alberto at the Technology Forum 2018 by The European House – Ambrosetti
Consul General Filippo Nicosia and Alberto open the inaugural ceremony of the “Italian Technology Exhibition” at Chongqing University
Alberto presents the collaboration with Bishan as a Case Study at Tsinghua University
Celebrating Istituto Galilei 10th Anniversary
TEDx Presentation: Chongqing and the HighTech Silk Road
Alberto signs the agreement for the establishment of the Sino Italian Research and Innovation Area in Chongqing
Just back from the meeting with the Italian winners of the SME Innovation Instrument
Research with JRC featured at the Open Innovation 2.0 Conference
Alberto presented the results of the EURIPIDIS study at the Open Innovation 2.0 Conference in Amsterdam. The conference was organized by Open Innovation Strategy and…
The SME Innovation Instrument, Horizon2020 and Talent Europe
In this presentation that I gave at the Italian Embassy in Washington DC, I provide a quick introduction to the Meridian Fellowship on Social Innovation and to my project, Talent Europe,
I then present some of the latest numbers regarding the implementation of the SME Innovation instrument, one of the most innovative parts of the 8th presentation Framework program called Horizon 2020
I also discuss about three concepts that I think might be interesting to explore as a basis of a useful comparison between Europe and US science and technology Policy.
Alberto in Washington as Meridian Social Innovation Fellow
On May 4, 2015, Meridian welcomed the inaugural cohort of the Meridian Social Innovation Fellowship to Washington, D.C. The eight Fellows – who hail from Belgium, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, and Spain – are global problem-solvers who bring together networks and resources to solve critical challenges facing their organizations, communities, and countries. Meridian has brought together this distinguished group to drive ground-breaking advancements in the fields of youth and women empowerment, cultural integration, entrepreneurship, science, technology, and education. Alberto joined the program to develop TalentEurope.
Empowering Researchers – Alberto's Participation to Ambrosetti Technology Forum
Alberto coordinated the Junior Chapter of the Ambrosetti Technology Forum. The report presented during the 2014 meeting in CastelBrando insisted on the need to empower researchers, and their role in the national innovation system. Take a look at the videos and presentations on the Ambrosetti website
High Level Group on Innovation Policy Management
During 2014 I took part to the works of the High Level Group on Innovation Policy Management. This group of experts from Academia, Industry and Government worked on the definition of a set of recommendations for the European Innovation Ecosystem. The group met three times, in Dublin, in Amsterdam and in Rome, and it is due to produce the final report in the course of the month of August to the Italian Presidency of the European Council.
A Two pages special on Sole 24 Ore on Technology Valorization
Italian public universities should emphasize the need to accompany researchers to the market, rather than to focus on the interfaces to transfer technology, through patents…
Calabria Innova!!
The presentation I shared today with the audience of Calabria Innova, can be found here.
Talent Italy: Challenge Prizes all’Italiana
The platform Talent Italy www.talentitaly.it is online.
The first challenge prize is focused on Massive Online Open Courses (MOOCs). To the best course developed by a researcher, teacher, start-up 100K EUR.
Visit to China Nov 14th – 19th
Just coming home from the official trip of Minister Maria Chiara Carrozza to China. We traveled to Beijing, Tianjin and Shanghai, meeting a vibrant community of Italians, doing business, cultivating arts, studying and researching in this country. I was impressed by their enthusiasm and positive attitude towards future perspectives. During talks with high level officials of the Chinese Government, research centers and universities we emphasized the priority to increase scientific collaborations between China and Italy.
Presented at the AOM2013: CMR Special issue on IP Strategic Management
The idea of this project started two years ago, on a boat trip with Giovanna Oddo from EPO Patent Academy, in Prague. It continued…
Innovation Policy and Smart Cities
This is the presentation (in Italian) that Andrea Paraboschi (SSSA) and I shared with the Green City Energy conference in Pisa. We illustrated the main guidelines of Minister Maria Chiara Carrozza’s agenda.
We discussed about the need to be focused, to be inclusive and to challenge Italian’s creativity and talent.
The Sky is Blue over Dublin! Italian S&T dominates Intel Buz Challenge
Italian Science and Technology was recognized at the finals of Intel Business Challenge 2013.
SEM+ a spin-off company of IIT and Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna got the first prize as the most european innovative start-up of the year.
Alberto Chairing a Session at an EPO/OECD Conference
Munich, May 6th. Alberto was responsible for the session titled “How Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) can fuel open science and open innovation”. When asked what was a very important and neglected aspect in technology transfer, Alberto said “people, people, people!” It is very important to consider the professionalism and experience of researchers and managers involved in the process.
User Led Innovation at the European Festival in Florence
I had the opportunity to discuss about User Innovation in an unconventional-not-strictly-academic context during an event organized by the Chamber of Commerce of Florence in partnership with Confindustria, at the European Festival in Florence
BlaBlaCar featured in Open for Innovation
BlaBlaCar is a very good example of a social platform turning into a great innovation, where users play a big role in shaping the success of the offering. Postoinauto.it, started by Olivier Bremer in 2009, happened to be at the right place at the right time, when the main investor in BlaBlaCar (Accel Partner) was hunting for companies to support the international expansion of the French company. Bremer was at the time managing the largest carsharing community in Italy at the time. “I got lucky” said to us Oliver, who is currently Country Manager for Italy… but luck is obviously only part of the story.
Open for Innovation: featuring Fantini Mosaici
Open for Innovation, our biweekly column on Affari & Finanza “La Repubblica” is back, profiling interesting companies, and linking them with a management theory. Monday we discussed about Fantini Mosaici.
Introducing Appropriability Advantage
During a presentation in the course of a seminar dedicated to Open Innovation, organized by the Flanders Business School, I introduced the concept of Appropriability Advantage.
California Study Tour: Day by day updates
Earlier in March, Simone Corsi and I accompanied a group of entrepreneurs from Confindustria Toscana Giovani, in a study tour around the San Francisco Bay…
Getting Ready for some California Time
Alberto and Simone have organized a study & business tour for a group of Italian entrepreneurs to San Francisco and Silicon Valley. The group will stop by for lectures at U.C. Berkeley and Stanford. They will be hosted by the Italian Consulate General in San Francisco and they will have meetings at City Hall. Other stops feature the Culinary Institute of America, LinkedIn, Plug&Play, Skydeck, Google, Idean… etc etc
Alberto and Simone codeveloped this initiative with the young entrepreneurs of Confindustria Toscana, as a sort of continuation of the lecture series “Change Agents”, which was an interesting experiment. “The idea was to mix theory and practice, to provoke new thinking and allow these young entrepreneurs to become actors of innovation and new investment within their companies”, says Alberto. “I was very happy to read Giacomo Gellini’s interview on La Nazione, as he truly represented with his words the spirit of what I am trying to do with companies, in my executive education programs”.
IP and Open Innovation
On March 25, Alberto and Dries will be the two keynotes at the Flanders Business School. They will present findings of their research in front…
Mixing Theory & Practice
I am Research Fellow with the Berkeley Roundtable on the International Economy, and I have been affiliated with ETLAtieto in Helsinki, the European Patent Office, the Open Innovation Corporation.
I have collaborated with the main Italian industrial and entrepreneurial associations (Confindustria, CNA), the Technology Transfer offices of various Italian Universities, as well as with the Italian Ministry of Economic Development, the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Kauffman Foundation, and with the U.S. Department of State, through the American Embassy in Italy.
I have run programs of executive education or other initiatives with companies such as: ABB, Ansaldo Energia, Bassilichi, ENI, Finmeccanica, Fondamenta SGR, Knauf, Intesa San Paolo Loccioni, Lucchini, Telecom Italia. From time to time I also write about innovation on La Repubblica Affari & Finanza.
Mixing Theory & Practice
I am Research Fellow with the Berkeley Roundtable on the International Economy, and I have been affiliated with ETLAtieto in Helsinki, the European Patent Office, the Open Innovation Corporation.
I have collaborated with the main Italian industrial and entrepreneurial associations (Confindustria, CNA), the Technology Transfer offices of various Italian Universities, as well as with the Italian Ministry of Economic Development, the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Kauffman Foundation, and with the U.S. Department of State, through the American Embassy in Italy.
I have run programs of executive education or other initiatives with companies such as: ABB, Ansaldo Energia, Bassilichi, ENI, Finmeccanica, Fondamenta SGR, Knauf, Intesa San Paolo Loccioni, Lucchini, Telecom Italia. From time to time I also write about innovation on La Repubblica Affari & Finanza.
Intel Business Challenge 2013: the heat is on!
The campaign to look for the Italian Dreamteam (i.e. the 10 entrepreneurial teams that will challenge their European colleagues during Round 2), has officially started. Teams will have the opportunity to submit their application online till February the 22nd.
Alberto discusses about the social media revolution with the clients of TD Group
Can we say that social media were the drivers of a second ICT revolution? Apparently so. In this presentation I try to show that there are many lessons that we can draw from previous disruptive changes in the industry, but that companies need to be outliers and define new business models and new business processes to leverage the advantaged offered them by new social medias.
Searching for Made in Italy Pioneers: Slide and its HT Furniture
Today, in La Repubblica we feature the story of Giuseppe and Marco Colonna Romano, from Slide, pioneering their own way through the traditional industry of furniture.
RENA 7th National Assembly in Florence
Theory meets practice, and young talents from many walks of life meet for the 7th Assemblea Generale of RENA. Rena is a national network of professionals: public and private managers, consultants, journalists and (yes…) researchers. Affiliates share a common drive to make a difference acting as positive actors of change, leading by example, with honesty and transparency.
Swinging by old and new friends in the SF Bay Area
I am wrapping up this great trip to San Francisco/Berkeley. Not only work, but also pleasure and I was able to greet some old and…
Open for Innovation… in the Cloud
A management buyout, a profound knowledge of business process and the impact of ICT, an all-italian-team. These are the ingredients of this week’s episode of…
Safe Nests, Inter-firm Relationships in Groningen
Alberto was in Groningen to celebrate Dries Faems’ professorship.
Dries gave his inaugural lecture in fronts of colleagues, friends and family, and Alberto was part of the warm up band, during an innovation workshop focussed on innovation, inter-firm and intra-firm relationships.
Alberto is one of the Keynote Speakers at the Intel European Research & Innovation Conference
In Barcelona I addressed the audience with a presentation titled WWWWWHOW Social Innovation: Why, When, Who, Where, What & How Social Innovation Matters. I blended together the concepts of Open Innovation and Social Innovation: Open Social Innovation… discussing the cases of Ashoka and Emergency.
Emergency: Projecting help beyond borders
In the last few weeks, I got to know a little bit better Emergency, the incredible organization started by Gino Strada, whose mission is to…
Intel Business Challenge
I was one of the judges for the European Finals of the Intel Business Challenge 2012. 24 teams were selected out of a pool…
ReStart Italia.. a new hope for Research in Italy?
On sep 13th in H-Farm the Minister for Economic Development Passera met with entrepreneurs, investors, experts of the ever-expanding Italian innovation ecosystem. I was present…
Teaching innovation management in Twente
Coming to Enschede is not really a joke.. flying to Amsterdam, two hours train from Schiphol… and then finding your way around the campus of…
Alberto at the NetVal Summer School
On September the 12th, Alberto presented at the NetVal Summer School in Bertinoro. NetVal (LINK A NETVAL QUA) is the largest organization in Italy for…
Alberto presenting a paper on Ansaldo Energia in Harvard
Alberto is presenting a paper on Ansaldo Energia. Together with a group of scholars from Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, Ansaldo developed an interactive tool to engage key customers the innovation practice of the company.
Creativity Innovation Management in Berlin
Yes, quite right: an Italian, in Berlin, a few hours before the semifinals of the European Cup (Italy-Germany) is presenting a paper on Italian Football….
Getting ready for Boston
Just a week before leaving for Boston. Alberto will attend the 10th International Open and User Innovation Workshop and the Academy of Management (more details…
Comacer: last piece for La Repubblica before the summer
To close before the summer, Open for Innovation focuses this week on Comacer, a company which started in Castel Bolognese, and has now turned into…
Alberto is the Italian Affiliate for the: Intel Business Challenge 2012
..One of the best business plan competitions worldwide, worldclass mentorship, expert advice, the chance to enter Silicon Valley from the front door. Applications (only an…
Alberto & Simone Corsi are the co-organizers of: Chinese Market as a Source of Innovation
As growing interdependence of global innovation is rising (and China is increasingly at the center), this workshop brings together people from academia to discuss and…
Alberto and Andrea interview two Italian Innovators
Giancarlo Michellone and Roberto Siagri bring their own professional experience of managers and entrepreneurs, and discuss with Andrea and Alberto. Two different views of high…
Jan 30th Kick off day Toscana Open
In a world where sources of innovation are increasingly dispersed, companies need to renew their competitive advantage by getting access to competences and ideas that…
CNA Next – Collective Intelligence Experiences
October 14th and 15th – Bologna Do you have a top ten list of books for the last decade? I have never though about one,…
Innovation à la Continuum
May 2012. Continuum Innovation featured this week in Open for Innovation (La Repubblica, Affari & Finanza). In this brief article we discuss about Continuum Innovation,…
Giglio.com, from local to global: how to reinvent a market
According to Jeff Bezos (Amazon founder) people are more willing to buy specific categories of goods on the internet, first of all books. And thus…
Trento makes hitech school
Real recipe to make result is to look far in the time. Richard Florida, American economist, says that the recipe of innovation is made of…
Melinda: when union makes strenght
“Small is awful”. It’s what you can say in those economic areas where there is a strong need of certificated quality, advanced technology, well known…
Vibram: when the supplier becomes a trademark
After a long history of component of technical shoes supplier, Vibram created in 2005 FiveFingers, launghing the barefoot running trend. A component supplier has 2…
Esaote, innovation at the bottom of the pyramid
One of the biggest challenges in our time is to bring a good life style the largest group of people, including the ones that cannot…
TRE: When spin-off is stronger than University
Henry Etzkowitz teorized the triple helix model: when the State create conditions and rules, if University develops and is able to transfer its research, and…
M31, the tecnologic incubator making its success on two Atlantic sides
It’s not common to see two successing people, a university professor and a high level manager, leaving their work to become enterpreneurs. This is the…
Gelesis and the death valley of startups
According to Geffrey Moore “Death Valley” theory, every hi-tech startup must, at a certain time of its life, go across a period in which greatest…
Udinese: when profit makes goals
Udinese is on the top of the Italian soccer championship, but it’s not only soccer we are talking about. According to Franco Soldati, it’s not…
Edra, open innovation by design
Created in 1987, Edra has been, in the last few years, aknowledge to be one of the most innovative enterprises, nationally and internationally, thus entering…
Eurotech dilemma: when today is success, tomorrow is the greatest risk
That moment in which things are going very good, in an enterprise, is called innovator’s dilemma. In fact innovating at this time is a great…
Loccioni: when enterprise is hitech the enviroment grows
You will be probably surprised to find between many multinationa enterprises, in the Italian best place to work classification, a small industry from Marche. Enrico…
Open Innovation at the Academy of Management
On August 15th (Ferragosto in Italy).. and to be precise at 8am in a hot morning in Texas.. Alberto organized a very well attended symposium…
Innovation in Necessary.. at least in Piemonte. But Why so?
On July the 8th, Alberto addressed the Giovani di Confindustria Piemonte, during their annual meeting in Stresa. What were the results of a full day…
On Monday June 13th Alberto and Henry Chesbrough at the Open Innovation Tour in Milan.
The Istituto di Management – Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna has contributed to two books presented in the course of the morning event of the International Open…
Digital Economy Forum
On May 12th, I have taken part to the Digital Economy Forum in Venice I moderated a panel on e-commerce, starting from questions I was…
How "Open" is Innovation in The Netherlands?
March 10th, 2011: I am one of the keynote speakers at the workshop “Open Innovation for Global Enterprises” organized by the University of Twente, in…
My personal way to celebrate Italy's 150th with Bill Emmott
In 2011 we are celebrating the 150th anniversary of the unified country in a bizarre and tense atmosphere. It has been argued that Italy is…
February: Alberto Lecturing in Tehran
..An intriguing country, stimulating conversations on Open Innovation and the transition from isolated research to technology hubs.
New Pirates in Silicon Valley!
I have visited Pier 38, one of the tech incubators in San Francisco, this is the piece that I wrote (ITA only..) for Innov’Azione on…
Milan, Jan. 26th: Technology & New Products at KITES
I presented a paper which tries to explore the relationship between technology acquisition and new product development
Milan, Jan. 26th: Technology & New Products at KITES
I presented a paper which tries to explore the relationship between technology acquisition and new product development
Florence, Jan 24th: Internet Better Business
I introduced and tried to apply the concept of Absorptive Capacity in front of a quite diverse audience of entrepreneurs in Florence. Take a look…
Introducing Fondazione Ricerca & Imprenditorialità in San Francisco and Chongqing
October 23rd – November 7th A little trip around the World. Coverage of the trip: San Francisco – Nov. 1st: Presentation of…
Barbaric Ideas
Innovation Management met Good Literature On October 2nd I interviewed two of my favorite authors: Alessandro Baricco Edoardo Nesi Baricco and Nesi are the authors…
Global Entrepreneurship Week in Italy
Through the generous support of various partners, and after the success of the event organize last year in Florence… on November 16th 2009 we inaugurated…
Global Entrepreneurship Week
On November the 20th 2008, entrepreneurs managers, banks and universities discussed together with enthusiasm about the power of entrepreneurship to create value for our economy….
OPEN: (Italian) Business Models for Innovation
On March the 18th 2008 Henry Chesbrough, Prof Riccardo Varaldo and Alberto have presented to the public the Italian edition of “Open Business Models”. We…