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The first wave of the spread of Covid-19 was contrasted by many countries through a severe lockdown of working and learning activities. One of the solutions for preserving the continuity of teaching activities was the adoption of different forms of remote teaching. A similar 'translation' has been adopted by many universities for re-organizing field placement. This decision was undertaken by bachelor programs in Social Work in Italy too. However, since field placements rely on the physical presence and the participation of students in the activities performed by social workers, this shift was particularly challenging. Moreover, remote interactions hinder the possibility of observing the distinctive relational dimension of social work. This paper examines the process of re-organization of field placements enacted by a Bachelor's Program in Social Work in an Italian university. We propose a preliminary assessment of this experience, reflecting on the positive and critical aspects of the forced reorganization of field placement. We consider this phenomenon as a process of organizational learning, that crosses multiple domains of social work. We discuss whether this process can be the driver of a mechanism of double-loop learning, leading towards the enrichment of teaching and learning activities rather than a temporary adaptation to a contingent need. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper investigates urban regeneration processes in Italy by comparing large-scale and long-term experiences in Piedmont and Apulia regions, both involved in the promotion of innovative urban regeneration policies for some decades. The multi-level perspective approach is employed to analyse transitions and to identify key leverages and lock-in mechanisms. A core influencing factor on transition pathways in urban regeneration is found in the range of policy instruments employed by the regional governments, which are in turn influenced by existing regime features. -Based on research findings, some suggestions are given on how to improve the consolidation of innovative practices in urban regeneration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growing interest in addressing societal challenges is changing research and innovation policy dynamics. However, a challenge-oriented approach requires specific public sector capacities to coordinate and provide directionality, while having an innovation ecosystem with sufficient scientific and technological capabilities to address the grand societal challenges effectively. From this perspective, a challenge-oriented policy is not a one-size-fits-all approach, and the literature has only recently started investigating the territorial differences. The current paper proposes a composite index to assess REgional Societal Challenges-Oriented REadiness (RE-SCORE). An exploratory experimental application is conducted to examine and compare Italian regions facing four selected societal challenges (SCs): bioeconomy, climate change, health and inclusive, innovative and reflective societies. The findings show that the Italian regional readiness to address SCs is highly heterogeneous, going beyond the 'traditional' North-South divide. The index allows us to benchmark regional capacities for comparative analysis and to identify possible interregional synergies around specific SCs. This approach could be used in other European countries and at the European level to assess the regional readiness to tackle SCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper proposes and tests a framework for the analysis of innovation dynamics in urban regeneration by combining established frameworks from the field of urban studies with a model known as Multi-Level Perspective. This allows the acknowledgement of socio-technical dimensions of innovations besides the socio-political one and contributes to overcome a linear perception of innovations by emphasising a co-evolutionary and multi-level perspective. The framework is applied to the analysis of an extensive policy promoted since 2006 by the Apulia regional government, Italy, aiming to improve the quality of life in deprived neighbourhoods. The policy, which involved more than one hundred municipalities, tried to introduce a new integrated and participatory area-based approach into a (weak) tradition of urban renewal policies centred on physical and functional aspects. A discussion of its achievements and failures sheds light on innovation dynamics as well as on key leverages and barriers to change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes the connection between innovation activities of companies – implemented before crisis – and their performance – measured at time of crisis. The companies listed in the STAR Market Segment of the Italian Stock Exchange are analyzed. Innovation is measured through the level of investments in total tangible and intangible fixed assets in 2006–2007, while performance is captured through growth – expressed by variations of sales, total assets and employees – profitability – through ROI or ROS – and productivity – through asset turnover or sales per employee in the period 2008–2010. The variables of interest are analyzed and compared through statistical techniques and by adopting cluster analysis. In particular, a Voronoi tessellation is also implemented in a varying centroids framework. In accord with a large part of the literature, we find that the behaviour of the performance of the companies is not univocal when they innovate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We need to understand the dynamics of current local production systems in the form of industrial districts and, particularly, how culture and innovation are interlinked. In this paper, we argue that the district innovation system approach, which covers the innovation systems and industrial district literatures, provides a set of ideas useful for understanding the role of culture in innovation in industrial districts. We study the role of innovation culture in two of the most important European ceramics industrial districts in Italy and Spain. Specifically, we analyse how, within a given district system, the innovation culture, networks and social structure, and their inter-relations, influence the interactions among those agents actively participating in the development, diffusion or adoption of innovation. We identify the cultural elements that are decisive in these innovation systems and whether these elements are substantially equal between the two countries or whether there are differences in their cultures, processes and innovation systems. Our main finding is that the cultural dynamics in district innovation systems differs among countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the relationship between the practices put in place by firms to search for local and distant knowledge, ambidexterity and firms’ performances; attention is then focused on analysing the antecedents and consequences of ambidexterity in the search phase of the innovation process. Structural equation modelling has been used in order to test these hypotheses in a sample of Italian high-tech companies. Results of the study show a positive impact of the practices used by firm to search for distant knowledge on both ambidexterity and firms’ performances as well. Implications of these results are discussed in the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper deals with quality innovation in the grapevine nursery sector. The vegetative propagation of grapevines, scarcely considered by economic research, is the first step in the wine production chain as it influences both the type and the quality of wines as well as the quality and quantity of the performance of farm investments. This paper gives the results of a study carried out through a structural analysis of both national and regional grapevine nurseries and then through a direct survey of the largest Sicilian nurseries. The survey covers the main structural and productive issues as well as the commercial aspects of eight Sicilian grapevine nurseries and their innovative investments. The middle–low selling price level of Sicilian rooted vines is the result of limited regional marketing which suffers competition from the propagation materials produced by Northern Italy and abroad. So, the companies adopted technological innovations in the production process (paraffin, mulching, cold room storage and warm-house) in order to reduce costs. Innovations of the product to diversify farm production, although less frequent, were also adopted. Consequently, the opportunities for growth in this sector are subject to the companies' ability to upgrade products and differentiate supplies. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In recent years management scholars and practitioners have been interested in innovation in high-technology industries. However, little attempt has been undertaken to examine factors affecting innovation in mature industries, such as agro-food. In this paper we tried to fill this literature gap. We hypothesise that weak-collaborations have a positive effect on firms’ innovations. We test our hypotheses on a sample of Italian agro-food firms. We discuss our results and present some theoretical and practical implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes the use of a class of concentration-based entropy measures as a new instrument to quantify business performances through an analysis of growth, profitability and productivity. Such measures are tested against a complex analysis of the link between innovation and performance for firms listed in the STAR market segment of the Italian Stock Exchange. In so doing, two targets are achieved: (1) the identification of parameters that are relevant for explaining the relationship between innovation and performance for the considered sample, with special focus on innovation type, innovation level and business size; (2) the elaboration of a new methodology – based on information theory – for the analysis of the impact of innovation on performance. The study shows that type of innovation and size play a key role in determining company performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The crisis has if anything shown that myopic views satisfying short-term interests cannot be the basis for sustainable economic policies. Rather, this paper calls for a more holistic approach to understanding and developing industrial policy and develops a tool to view such policy initiatives. This 'sundial' is based on four main pillars: entitlements (seen here as the right and capability of individuals to take part in the learning processes underlying development); provisions (the tangible and intangible resources necessary for development); innovation (the necessary dynamic character of any action supporting development, adjusting and sustaining learning processes determining development paths); and territory (as learning processes sustaining development are embedded in specific territories). We suggest that whatever the territory under consideration, policy action must be coherent at all levels, be it regional, national or supranational. We apply this analysis to the specific case of Emilia-Romagna (ER), and argue that the case shows how a long-term and sustainable vision of industrial development can be effectively defined and implemented if this is done in a process involving local stakeholders and ensuring consensus. The ER industrial policy also illustrates a way to develop beyond the 'traditional' Italian model of industrial development based on industrial districts. However, we argue that regional level initiatives could do with more support from consistent national level policy initiatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Politecnico di Milano and Politecnico di Torino, the top technical universities in Italy, united their efforts in 2004 by launching a unique excellence programme called Alta Scuola Politecnica (ASP). The ASP programme is devoted to 150 students, selected each year from among the top 5-10% of those enrolled in the Engineering, Architecture and Design MSc programmes at each institution. This paper reports on the original motivation, evolution, lessons learned, present status, results, challenges and perspectives of ASP. In particular, the issues related to the selection of the ASP class and to its multidisciplinary nature, the cultural track of ASP and also its sustainability in connection with its location inside the Milano-Torino framework will be highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]