Is it possible to concretely change the reality around us by interpreting impact economics?
Stratosferica, near the Einaudi campus, has successfully applied these principles to give a second life to a neglected area, offering a model of scalability for cities and territories. We talked about it with Luca Ballarini, founder and director of Stratosferica, who sat with us on the Bench-Mark bench.
Learn more in the interview by Francesco Antonioli.
Watch previous episodes here.
Manufacturing in Italy pays off, not only for the superior quality of the eyewear but also for the environmental sustainability of the products. This is proven by the numbers VANNI obtained through the Life Cycle Assessment of cellulose acetate eyeglasses, representative of VANNI’s collection designs.
The study, commissioned to the University of Bicocca in Milan, in collaboration with Liito, highlighted unequivocal figures: the CO2 impact (a principal cause of climate change) of the V1632 model is 2.35 KG, a weight below the industry reference values, achieved thanks to the use of Italian raw materials and the decision to produce everything domestically.
The same eyeglasses, if produced in Asia, would have generated 4.45 kg of CO2, approximately 89% more emissions, due to the high environmental impact of intercontinental transportation.
In addition to this assessment, there is the incalculable “social impact,” which relates to the working conditions of workers in factories far from our sight, where it’s impossible to verify the standards of protection and decent work.
Unlike many fashion and accessory brands that assess the impact of their “green” products, specific to limited production capsule collections, the results of the LCA study of VANNI’s products were calculated based on a representative eyewear model of the entire acetate eyewear production. The VANNI collection includes other models, different from the sample taken but comparable in the production process and materials used.
This data is highlighted in the second impact report that VANNI has published, documenting the results achieved in 2023 on environmental and social sustainability topics, filed with the Chamber of Commerce and available on the vanniocchiali.com website. This document is mandatory by law, but for VANNI, it’s truly an opportunity to focus on where it has come and where it is going.
“Made in Italy, for sure is our signature. We have always maintained that producing in Italy is a choice that makes a difference, and today we wanted to demonstrate – also in numerical and analytical terms – that it is the right choice for our environment, which we must seriously take care of, to preserve it and pass it on to future generations.
We value the Italian culture of the sector and demonstrate that reducing product transportation and harmful emissions to the environment – by rewarding the territory – decreases our footprint on nature. At VANNI, we make every phase of manufacturing transparent. In a period of growing claims on sustainability issues, we are keen to show where and how our glasses are born.
The positive data on our CO2 emissions is not an endpoint but a starting point, because we can improve it, finally knowing where to act. This is our commitment for the years to come, as we emphasized in our recently published report”, say Giovanni Vitaloni and Alessandra Girardi, owners of the company.
VANNI, the Turin-based design eyewear company founded in 1987, with distribution in over 50 countries worldwide, and 100% Made in Italy, has been a Benefit Corporation since 2021, the first in Italy in the sector. For the company, this choice means setting evaluation and measurement standards regarding the commitment to people, the planet, the territory, and the creation of shared wealth. The report monitors all the effects generated by its activities in every field, an accurate and measured radiography.
MyOrango has been selected among the 100 finalist startups that will participate in the ninth edition of DigithON, the prestigious digital marathon to be held from September 5th to 7th, 2024, at the Vecchie Segherie Mastrototaro in Bisceglie (BT) – PUGLIA.
DigithON represents a key event for the Italian startup ecosystem and will be a unique opportunity for MyOrango to present its project to a select audience of national and international investors.
The event will culminate on the evening of September 7th in Piazza Castello with the announcement and awarding of the winning startups, offering a unique and suggestive setting to celebrate innovation.
DigithON is an unmissable opportunity to showcase our commitment to innovation and digital transformation. We are excited to engage with other brilliant startups and seize the opportunity to meet important figures in the sector. We invite anyone interested in digital innovation to follow the event and support MyOrango in this exciting adventure.
For more information about the event click here.
Within the framework of Torino Impact Journalism, initiative sponsored by Social Impact Agenda per l’Italia, we launched a series of webinars that will explore the role of information in the era of the impact economy.
After the first webinar, which delved into the “Foundations and Principles of Solutions Journalism,” registrations are now open for the second event titled “Social Impact Metrics in Journalism,” which will take place on Monday, September 16, from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM.
With the participation of experts in journalism, impact measurement, and information, the webinar will analyze possible metrics for social impact, providing tools and methods to evaluate the social impact that news has on their target communities. This is a qualitative parameter that restores journalism to its role as an agent for social and economic change, after years in which news has been assessed only in quantitative terms, following the algorithms of the big players on the web.
The webinar will be an integral part of the course programming of the Order of Journalists and is aimed at both professionals and anyone interested in exploring the world of journalism and impact communication!
In the coming weeks, we will share stories from the guests who will bring their experience to the webinar.
To participate and receive the access link to the webinar, please register via the following Google Form.
The story of “Synergies in Canavese,” a project for the revitalization of the mountains built around the PNRR and the Turin Chamber of Commerce‘s initiative to create a business-driven energy community.
When they decided two years ago to establish a green community in Canavese to access PNRR funds, they aimed for an ecological and energy transition involving the 27 municipalities and five mountain unions in the area, partnering with the Piedmont side of the Gran Paradiso Park. The goal: to promote the growth and sustainable development of the area by integrating and enhancing local resources. Marco Bussone, national president of Uncem, the Union of Mountain Municipalities and councilor of the Valli di Lanzo Mountain Union – among the promoters of the green community – has repeated this many times: “We need impactful actions to ensure a future for the mountains. But on one condition: local communities must be involved, as they are the true driving force behind the revival. Without the territories, the transition and crisis cannot be addressed.” In fact, the “Green Community Synergies in Canavese” – led by Marco Bonatto Marchello, president of the Valli Orco and Soana Union – represents a fine example of impact economy. It places communities at the center, thus laying the foundations for an energy transition that takes into account the social dimension, without which it is now clear that a deeply sustainable and lasting environmental transition cannot take place. This is not a given in a context where even private investments must contemplate an additional approach, considering interventions in more challenging areas from a market profitability dynamics perspective. In this context, the significant contribution of public funds – over four million guaranteed by PNRR funds – is an important lever for a catalyst process of new initiatives. The funds are designed to create value for people and the territory. Some examples? The construction of six rainwater collection tanks to ensure water reserves in several strategic points of Canavese to draw upon in case of forest fires and to face drought periods in agriculture. Or the conversion of an industrial site into a wood processing plant, ensuring jobs and saving on land consumption. The impact is included in all nineteen interventions that the green community will implement within the next two years, as required by the PNRR: the investment, beyond risk and return, primarily considers the benefits of these territory regeneration models, in line with the principles of intentionality and additionality at the core of the impact economy. Moreover, the return, not only economic, that these interventions will have for the Canavese community is measured. “This is the vision of a mountain that thinks about the future,” insists Bussone. “After all, the highlands can indeed be the right field to experiment with investments that produce both social and environmental impact. The development of the wood supply chain is perhaps the most virtuous example: it ensures forest care and jobs in the mountains, also allowing another good practice: the circular economy.”
“Moreover, from the outset, our project aimed to include all nine thematic areas that underpin the development of Green Communities in a strategy from North to South: renewable energy, water and forest resources, building efficiency, sustainable development of tourism, mobility, and local production chains,” explain those from “Synergies in Canavese.” The green community’s projects also include a CER, an energy community to locally produce and share energy generated from renewable sources.
The Turin Chamber of Commerce is also interested in CERs. Guido Bolatto, the general secretary, explains: “It all started from the energy crisis two years ago, with skyrocketing electricity and gas prices and our members struggling with increasingly complex cost management. We ruled out the idea of blanket contributions because it wouldn’t have solved the problem; we focused on CERs. With a clear starting point: they had to be business-driven energy communities. We conducted a survey. In the end, we identified two primary substations: one in Turin, in the Aurora district, the other in the hinterland in Strambino. We aim to involve many retailers among consumers and some hotels among producers who can use their roofs to install photovoltaic systems.”
Professional orders were also involved in the project, particularly in the startup phase, with lawyers and notaries drafting the CER statute. The final goal of the Chamber of Commerce is to develop a replicable model. “Essentially, a turnkey CER model that includes a business plan, statute, and governance,” adds Bolatto. “In other words, a CER prototype that can then be adapted but initially solves some of the most complicated issues because there are indeed many unknowns, starting with understanding the tax issue. That’s why it’s important to rely on a team of professionals who know how to interpret the regulations correctly.” The call, open to micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises of any sector in the province of Turin, is open until autumn. The chamber council has allocated over 220 thousand euros under the “Energy Transition Call – CER 2024,” providing contributions in the form of vouchers. Other calls (and contributions) are expected by the end of the year from the Piedmont Region (through Finpiemonte, for any company) and the Fondazione Compagnia di San Paolo (for already established CERs).
The first workshop of the OP4IMPACT Community of Practice was held yesterday, Thursday, July 18, at the Cottino Social Impact Campus. The OP4IMPACT – Professional Orders for Impact Community is composed of the Turin Order of Chartered Accountants and Accounting Experts, the Turin Bar Association, the Turin and Pinerolo Notarial Council, and the Turin Order of Labor Consultants.
The OP4IMPACT Community of Practice aims to work together on social impact, leveraging the distinctive and complementary skills and approaches of the involved professional orders.
The first workshop, conducted by Caterina Soldi of the Cottino Social Impact Campus, was an important opportunity to identify and systematize the distinctive competencies of the four involved orders in order to develop a matrix of integrated and shared competencies.
The morning began with an icebreaking exercise to allow the 16 participants to get to know each other better through their hobbies. Subsequently, the four professional orders worked together on understanding the purpose of their participation in OP4IMPACT. Among the various positive aspects that emerged were the enhancement of the different professions and the willingness to step out of old-fashioned individualistic and order-based logics.
The second phase of the workshop was dedicated to defining the distinctive competencies of each order concerning social impact. The discussion continued with the identification of the complementary competencies of the Community of Practice: a stimulating work that will require further exploration in the next workshop.
Finally, the attendees reflected on possible themes and macro areas of work for OP4IMPACT, in line with the TSI target.
The Community of Practice project is an initiative of Torino Social Impact that represents a significant step towards strengthening the collective dimension of the impact ecosystem. Supported by the Chamber of Commerce and the Compagnia di San Paolo Foundation as part of TSI, it aims to create a collaborative space where partners can pool their competencies and work together on shared issues and challenges.
Presented today, July 18, 2024, at the Turin Chamber of Commerce, an agreement signed between the Chamber and the Metropolitan City for the drafting of a Plan dedicated to the social economy in the Turin area.
As explained by Guido Bolatto, Secretary General of the Chamber of Commerce: “Once again, Turin is a pioneer in implementing an important initiative strongly desired by European institutions. Our experience, which led to the birth and development of the Torino Social Impact ecosystem involving more than 300 entities, and our extensive network of contacts are fundamental for drafting the local Plan, but also for increasingly accrediting us as strategic interlocutors both nationally, at the working table with the Ministry and the national chamber system, and at the European level, where we have been repeatedly invited to present our activity model”.
According to Sonia Cambursano, Councilor of the Metropolitan City of Turin: “The Metropolitan City of Turin is working to integrate the Action Plan for the social economy with the metropolitan strategic plan, aware that social innovation practices are perfectly aligned with the already identified axes ‘Digitization, innovation, competitiveness, and culture’ and ‘Social inclusion,’ where it is already planned to enhance the business potential of personal and family service economies, community and territorial services, qualifying work, processes, techniques, and skills of the third sector and social enterprises. Moreover, the Metropolitan City of Turin is already investing in the InnoSocialMetro program to increase the capacity of the territory’s micro and small enterprises to generate socially desirable impacts through their for-profit activities: we have made financial support available, consisting of an interest subsidy and a non-repayable grant, for a total investment of 1.3 million euros”.
According to Mario Calderini, professor at the Polytechnic University of Milan and spokesperson for Torino Social Impact: “The background of this initiative is drawn by community documents that assign social enterprises a role not only in welfare and redistribution but also in industrial and economic development, considering the social and impact economy within the perimeter of industrial policies for more equitable and inclusive growth. The path outlined by Turin and some other territories moving similarly requires this paradigm shift, combined with rediscovering the value of bottom-up transformative processes, choosing local ecosystems as units of political action, within the framework of a national design. A new paradigm also for impact investing, so that it finally attributes a political dimension, defining a different relationship between public and private and a meeting point between technology transfer and the third sector”.
In the Turin area, there are over 4,200 entities, including associations, social enterprises, volunteer organizations, and other entities registered in the National Register of the Third Sector: 576 of these are Turin social enterprises, accounting for 2.4% of Italian social enterprises. The Plan drafted by the Chamber of Commerce and the Metropolitan City, with the collaboration of Torino Social Impact, will be completed by the end of the year.
Employment, skills, and poverty reduction by 2030: already in 2017, the European Parliament, Council, and Commission included these principles in the European Pillar of Social Rights. Subsequently, in 2021, the Commission adopted an Action Plan for the Social Economy, with concrete measures to be implemented at both national and European levels, leading to the approval of the EU Council’s Recommendation to Member States in November 2023 for developing the framework conditions for the social economy.
Both the Plan and the Recommendation highlight the strategic role of local levels, as social economy entities are strongly rooted in the territory, serve the community they are in, and generally operate with a bottom-up approach.
In May 2024, a “Social Economy” working group coordinated by Undersecretary Honorable Lucia Albano was also launched at the Ministry of Economy and Finance with the aim of following up on the EU Council’s Recommendation.
Our territory boasts a leading position thanks to the Turin Chamber of Commerce, which already in 2016 established the Social Entrepreneurship Committee, which in turn promoted the Torino Social Impact platform, born in 2017 with the initial involvement of 12 partners and today a virtuous model aggregating over 300 entities including businesses, institutions, financial operators, and third sector entities.
Starting tomorrow, extensive work will begin to survey and involve already active entities in the Turin social economy to compile a list of objectives, tools, and actions in the program.
The specific objectives of the Agreement are:
The plan will take into account the work underway at the Ministry of Economy and Finance and will be structured based on the EU Recommendation, focusing on promoting access to the labor market and social inclusion through the social economy and developing favorable frameworks for it.
It is expected that the plan will be completed by the end of 2024, following an extensive consultation process with all stakeholders.
The Metropolitan City of Turin has over 4,200 entities, including associations, social enterprises, volunteer organizations, and other entities, that make up the Third Sector and are therefore registered with the RUNTS (data as of May 2024). This represents 3.4% of the national presence and over 46% of the 9,111 organizations in Piedmont.
44% are social promotion associations, and 32.3% are volunteer organizations.
Following are social enterprises, with 576 entities registered in the National Register of the Third Sector (13.6%): almost one in two social enterprises in Piedmont is based in the province of Turin. Turin hosts 2.4% of Italian social enterprises.
(Source: RUNTS National Register of the Third Sector at the Ministry of Labor and Social Policies).
To this pool, we can also add benefit corporations, for-profit organizational forms that pursue common benefit objectives according to responsibility and sustainability criteria: at the end of the first quarter of 2024, there are 201 benefit corporations registered in the Turin chamber registry, with a trend that has seen numbers almost decuple over the last five years. These are almost entirely corporations employing just under 4,400 people.
(Source: Observatory on benefit corporations, Chamber of Commerce of Brindisi-Taranto – Infocamere).
From June 27 to 30, the first “Circular Fashion Days” took place in Turin at Green Pea, a festival dedicated to circular fashion, created in collaboration with the startup Atelier Riforma.
Coinciding with Turin Fashion Week (which this year was held at Green Pea), the event offered four days of immersion in the fashion world, exploring what responsible consumption and a circular economy mean up close.
As circular fashion consultants for Green Pea, the Atelier Riforma team developed a packed schedule of activities to inspire and engage people on these topics:
Many professionals and entities in the fields of circularity, fashion art, and crafts from all over Italy were involved in the event, including: Laboratorio POI, photographer Chiara Agostinetto, the benefit corporation Mercato Circolare, the brand Italia90, the Batik collective, the association IB-Artemide, the brand Barone Ostu, eco-printer Laudisia Colonnelli, the brand Divergente, the social tailoring Kechic, various fashion institutes, the Belt Bag project, mender Natasha Goetz, Costanza vintage, Emporio Margherita, the brand CEA, Jukebox couture, the upcycling brand Eleven Daisies, the artisanal jewelry brand Manibargé, One Up Reuse, Cloré Handmade, Nobody is 100%, Poppi.lab, the artisanal brand Deda…
This rich initiative was born from the collaboration between Green Pea (the first large physical space in Italy dedicated to 360° sustainable living) and Atelier Riforma (an innovative social startup promoting circular fashion, also part of Turin Social Impact).
“We sincerely thank all the participants, exhibitors, speakers, and professionals who made this event possible, and especially Green Pea, for this valuable opportunity to leverage our expertise in circular fashion. The change that Atelier Riforma wants to bring to the fashion world also involves spreading awareness and educating consumers… and there’s no better way to do that than through fun and creativity!” – Elena Ferrero (CEO of Atelier Riforma)
This is the first edition of what is hoped to become a long-term collaboration, giving citizens a regular event and space to enjoy while exploring such a relevant topic as circularity.
A few days ago, while sitting on a bench in Piazza Paravia, we had the pleasure of meeting Diego Coriasco, legal representative of Patchanka, a type B social cooperative founded in 2012 with the goal of creating a more inclusive and humane work culture.
During our conversation, Diego shared their vision of social economy, which is centered on the concepts of community and person.To learn more, watch the new episode of Bench-Mark.
The interview is by Francesco Antonioli.
Watch previous episodes here.
From April to July in Turin, two different strategies have been tested to reduce the use of single-use plastic in packaging when shopping.
The Reusable Packaging Revolution project has involved citizens in using reusable containers at participating CRAI supermarkets, at the Crocetta market stalls, and in some local shops.
The first phase of the experiment will conclude in July, so it’s time to celebrate together!
We will do this on Tuesday, July 23, from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM at the University of Management and Economics (Corso Unione Sovietica, 220) with a Midsummer Aperitif.
It will be an opportunity to talk about what we have done and how it went, meet the participants of the experiment, partners, and institutions, and share thoughts and ideas to imagine future prospects in the spaces of the SME Garden at the University.
Entry is free, and reservations are appreciated at this link to help us with the organization!
Bring a friend and your glass to toast together!
A collaboration between the Chamber of Commerce and the Metropolitan City for drafting a Plan dedicated to the social economy in the Turin area: this is the content of the agreement that will be presented on Thursday, July 18th at the Chamber of Commerce in the presence of Guido Bolatto, Secretary General of the Turin Chamber of Commerce, and Sonia Cambursano, Councilor of the Metropolitan City of Turin with a mandate for tourism, productive activities, economic development, and strategic planning.
In December 2021, the European Commission adopted an Action Plan for the Social Economy, presenting concrete measures to be implemented at both the national and Union levels.
In November 2023, the Council of the EU approved a Recommendation on developing the framework conditions for the social economy, inviting member states to promote a strategy that facilitates its development through favorable initiatives, measures, and legal frameworks, collaborating with stakeholders at all levels in building it. The Recommendation also includes establishing national, local, or regional contact points for the social economy, aimed at promoting social innovation, supporting the development of the social economy, and enhancing its potential for economic and social transformation.
The Turin area is at the forefront of elaborating a local implementation of these principles and action plans. For years, Turin has stood out for its attention to the social economy, thanks to initiatives promoted by a variety of actors: public, private, philanthropic, and third sector entities, united in the Torino Social Impact ecosystem.
The press conference will also be an opportunity to present the latest data on the social economy in the territory.
On Friday, July 12, as part of the HUB for European Projects for Social Economy, a workshop on the Interreg Alcotra program was held. This opportunity was aimed at the partners of Torino Social Impact, focusing on harnessing the European Union’s financial opportunities within one of the European cross-border cooperation programs. The program’s objectives are to address environmental challenges, stimulate the cross-border economic and social system, and overcome major cross-border obstacles through local, integrated, and inclusive cooperation.
The workshop, organized in collaboration with Weco Impresa Sociale with contributions from the Turin Chamber of Commerce and the Compagnia di San Paolo Foundation, took place at the Cottino Social Impact Campus in Turin, which provided the space for hands-on learning.
The event saw the participation of 10 organizations interested in testing their skills in European project planning, aiming to learn and develop projects in the social field. The day was divided into two main sessions: a morning info session and an afternoon practical workshop.
Following the initial greetings, the morning info session included training on the Interreg Alcotra program. Maria Chiara Pizzorno, senior expert at Weco Impresa Sociale, presented an overview of the Interreg VI-A Italy-France Alcotra 2021-2027 Program. Her presentation gave participants the opportunity to delve into the program’s details, explore opportunities, and address challenges and key aspects to consider.
One of the highlights of the morning was the presentation of a successful experience by Elena Di Bella from the Metropolitan City of Turin, who illustrated the C.A.R.E. project – Community Support for the Resilience of Social and Health Ecosystems, an exemplary use of the Interreg Alcotra program funds.
The workshop resumed in the afternoon with a practical focus on Alcotra Single Projects, led by Weco Impresa Sociale. The goal was to work concretely on the call for single projects due at the end of the year. With the guidance of present experts, there were ample opportunities for discussing project ideas and receiving immediate feedback, thus laying the groundwork for effective applications.
The design workshop on the Interreg Alcotra Single Projects Call proved to be a valuable opportunity for all entities interested in European project planning and social economy. The combination of informative and practical sessions enabled participants to gain knowledge and practical skills, thereby facilitating their participation in European calls.
On July 9th, Mario Calderini, spokesperson for Torino Social Impact and full professor at the School of Management of the Politecnico di Milano, spoke during the hearings at the Senate of the Republic regarding bill no. 1049: a proposal for the promotion of social impact projects in the territory.
Prof. Calderini presented his vision of enhancing and supporting projects with a social impact that is intentional, additional, and measurable: true impact and not just positive externalities. This vision has been the foundation of Torino Social Impact since 2017 and currently drives an ecosystem of over 320 partners.
To listen to the hearing
Finance and Treasury Commission – Office of the Presidency
Promotion of social impact projects in the territory
As part of the 12th edition of the CSR and Social Innovation Fair, the third edition of the Impact Award returns. This award is dedicated to measuring the economic, social, and environmental impact generated by sustainability projects. The goal is to emphasize the importance of impact evaluation and the need to involve stakeholders in the process.
The award is open to all profit, non-profit, and public administration organizations based in Italy, which have implemented and evaluated a project between 2020 and 2023, with impacts also on Italian territory. Organizations must have communicated the impact of their initiatives through various channels such as events, workshops, websites, newsletters, or reports.
Applications must be submitted by August 31, 2024, using the project presentation form, differentiated by categories of businesses, non-profits, and public administration. It is possible to participate with multiple projects, each with a dedicated form. Each application must include information about the organization, a description of the project and methodology used, impact results, details on stakeholder involvement, and dissemination actions of the initiative.
Read the regulations
Application form for businesses
Application form for non-profits
Application form for public administrations
For more information: premioimpatto@koinetica.it
Presented on July 10 in Rome at the Chamber of Deputies, the National Center of Excellence for Social Innovation will be based in Turin, the only Italian city chosen by the EU, in the ex-Incet premises. This new institution aims to link public policies with innovative social practices. This is an important recognition for the City of Turin first and foremost, and for the entire social innovation ecosystem that the territory has fostered for years, also through Torino Social Impact.
The Italian Center of Excellence for Social Innovation was born in collaboration with similar centers across the European Union, thanks to an initiative supported by the EaSI program and funded by the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+). The Center will serve as a support platform for public administrations, businesses, and civil society, tackling complex social challenges with innovative approaches.
Among the partners involved are the Polytechnic University of Turin, the Polytechnic University of Milan, the University of Bologna, Euricse, and the Giacomo Brodolini Foundation. This collaboration aims to create an inclusive and collaborative ecosystem, facilitating the exchange of skills between public and private actors. The City of Turin is a founding partner of Torino Social Impact, as is the Polytechnic University of Turin. The Giacomo Brodolini Foundation is also an active partner in the territorial ecosystem, confirming the importance of networking on innovation and social economy issues.
The SEED (Social Innovation Ecosystem Development) project, coordinated by the Municipality of Turin, won the ESFA call for proposals to strengthen national centers and promote transnational collaboration. The main objectives of the Center are to disseminate knowledge about social innovation, be a reference point for public policy design, and create a bridge between Italy and other European competence centers.
The Center will offer various services, including strategy definition, consulting and training for public bodies, the third sector, and businesses, support for accessing European funding, and promoting cooperation among stakeholders for public-private partnerships.
Futura Law Firm starl SB, with the support of ICC Italia, has organized a roundtable on July 17 featuring experts from the platform world, with various backgrounds (compliance, software development, entrepreneurship, marketing).
The event will be followed by a networking aperitif.
We believe this will be a great opportunity for the digital community of Turin to meet, especially for operators involved in different stages of the supply chain.
Register here.
On July 8th, the second meeting of the Community of Practice on Gender Equality took place at Pink Coworking. Following an initial session focused on in-depth discussion of the topic and exchange among social economy organizations, this second meeting centered on Gender Equality Certification.
Monica Cerutti, an expert in social inclusion policies and gender issues, who curated the Community of Practice, was joined by Alessandra Brogliatto, head of the Research, Development, Training, and Equal Opportunities Sector for Confcooperative Piemonte Nord.
Additionally, in the second part of the afternoon, two ecosystem partners shared their certification journey: Synesthesia, a benefit corporation specializing in strategic consulting, software development, marketing services, ecommerce, training, and event organization, and Cooperativa Esserci, which has been dedicated to the inclusion of vulnerable individuals for over 30 years.
Both organizations showcased their corporate welfare models, the successes they achieved, and the challenges faced during the certification process.
The meeting was held at Pink Coworking, a welcoming environment where women of all ages, orientations, and backgrounds work together. The coworking space offers an alternative to the isolation of home-based smart working and fosters the creation of new alliances and professional opportunities. This space is a project of the Acca association, supported by the Circoscrizione 1 of the City of Turin.
The meeting was part of the Community of Practice project, supported by the Chamber of Commerce of Turin and the Compagnia di San Paolo Foundation.
The Movimento Consumatori APS, in collaboration with Sloweb, has launched the Observatorio Consumo Digitale Responsabile (OCDR), an initiative aimed at promoting awareness and responsibility in the consumption of digital technologies. This initiative is part of the “AgEnDa: Assistere, Educare, Diffondere” project, funded by the Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy, with the goal of fostering digital transition.
The OCDR aims to become the first national platform and network dedicated to responsible digital consumption, enabling citizens to discover and utilize digital products and services that have a positive economic, social, and environmental impact. The mission is to make digital consumption more inclusive, sustainable, and conscious, in line with the objectives of the 2030 Agenda.
The Observatory is committed to identifying and giving visibility to profit and non-profit entities engaged in responsible digital consumption. By distributing a questionnaire, it collects data on products and services that promote sustainable technological consumption. The gathered data will be used to inform and raise awareness among citizens, as well as to produce position papers and an annual report on the topic.
The OCDR particularly addresses the most vulnerable consumers, helping them to identify and consciously use the technological services and products that best meet their needs. The Observatory does not judge the entities it monitors but provides a space for reporting unresolved consumer issues and can intervene in cases of unfair commercial practices.
To join the OCDR, interested entities must complete a membership application form, available here. Membership is reviewed by Movimento Consumatori APS and Sloweb, which approve the publication of information sheets on responsible digital services.
For more information and to participate in the initiative, visit the OCDR website or contact info@ocdr.it.
With this initiative, Movimento Consumatori APS and Sloweb aim to create a more aware and responsible community in the use of digital technologies, contributing to a more sustainable and inclusive future.
The coexistence of differences is an essential ingredient for fostering well-being, competitiveness, and value within organizations. With this conviction, Amapola is launching an internal division dedicated to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), further consolidating its commitment to social issues. Since its founding in 2009, the Benefit Corporation has specialized in sustainability consulting and communication. Senior consultant Emilia Blanchetti joins Amapola’s team to lead this initiative, bringing with her thirty years of experience in the field.
Amapola’s approach is based on a deep understanding of ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) issues and solid experience in sustainability consulting and communication. The new DEI consultancy areas include:
Emilia Blanchetti has a long career in sustainability, with extensive experience in consulting, organizing, and managing events and stakeholder engagement projects. She has collaborated with public and private companies, public administrations, governments, and non-profit organizations both nationally and internationally. Among her achievements are complex communication and dissemination projects, as well as coordinating significant national festivals like the Verde e Blu Festival and the WE – Women’s Equality Festival.
DEI policies are crucial for organizational growth: they represent a significant social commitment to people and communities, clearly define the company’s values, enhance credibility with stakeholders and the market, and have a tangible impact on results and competitiveness, as numerous studies have shown. Moreover, amid strong regulatory pushes on human rights issues – consider the latest European directives on reporting or due diligence – it is essential to raise awareness by reviewing business processes and extending it to the supply chain. Key application areas include gender equality, support for parenting and caregiving, creating an inclusive work environment, and valuing differences within and outside companies.
“Promoting diversity and inclusion has long been proven to generate competitive advantages. However, in Italy, the topic is still in the process of being fully adopted by many companies”, comments Emilia Blanchetti, the new team leader of Amapola’s division. “We face a multi-speed scenario where each organization must be guided according to its maturity level: some need help setting up a DEI policy, while others need a partner to highlight and enhance existing initiatives. Our proposal starts from an in-depth analysis of real needs using innovative tools and is always results-oriented and focused on improving competitiveness”.
The proposed methodology is based on stakeholder relationships, active listening, facilitation, and co-designing DEI strategies with the participation and involvement of all key interlocutors. This approach helps stabilize and solidify the process because it is based on shared values, projects, and objectives. Furthermore, thanks to a vast network of relationships at the national level, Amapola can activate synergies on DEI projects with accredited and institutional partners, creating profitable collaborations with businesses, associations, NGOs, and public administrations.
“We embrace the words of activist Fabrizio Acanfora, who suggests talking about the coexistence of differences rather than inclusion: a horizontal and egalitarian perspective on the subject that convinces us”, explains Elena Mancino, Amapola partner. “For Amapola, this new division is not just a business goal but a new milestone in a journey. Emilia brings with her a wealth of valuable experience and passion for our reality.”
Amapola Srl Benefit Corporation specializes in sustainability consulting with a particular focus on communication. Founded in 2009, it accompanies companies and organizations in building sustainability pathways and projects, making them alive and shared with all stakeholders. To this end, it offers structured listening and stakeholder engagement services, institutional and environmental communication, sustainability reporting, media relations, content production, video production, and event organization, along with consultancy in conflict management and the creation of CSR projects. Amapola has operational offices in Milan, Turin, and Alessandria, as well as a network of correspondents throughout Italy.
On the occasion of the Terra Madre Salone del Gusto 2024, on September 28th and 29th, Giardino Forbito confirms its collaboration with Slow Food with a dedicated program. As always, this will take place within the context of the Googreen Biodiversity Market, which, for this event, will be held over two days and will host local farmers and artisans, as well as national excellence.
Saturday, September 28
Sunday, September 29
The first webinar for the European Week for Waste Reduction took place on Friday 21 June, entitled: “Let’s do it! Business strategy for reduce food waste“.
2024 will be the year dedicated to food waste and the environmental, social and economic consequences it entails. Precisely for this reason the webinar focuses on the solutions and strategies that companies can undertake or have already undertaken to solve this problem.
Here are the invited companies and their actions:
How to recover food and promote conscious consumption, with Matteo Guidi of LAST MINUTE MARKET – IMPRESA SOCIALE S.R.L.
Concrete food sharing solutions for charity in the profit and non-profit sector with Marco Raspati from Regusto – Recuperiamo Società Benefit
The impact of food waste and how large retailers can minimize it thanks to the first digital assistant against waste, with Andrea Albert Maria Gasco of iThanks
How to create a culture of regeneration, from systems to good daily practices with Fiorenza Genovese of the Iren Group
How does the European Week For Waste Reduction plays a fundamental role in guiding businesses to take action to reduce food waste, with Bernardo Piccioli Fioroni of Utilitalia
Since 2015, Progesia has been guiding companies on a journey of growth and awareness towards sustainability and social impact.
Today, with Antonella Moira Zabarino, Sole Administrator of Progesia, we discover how this organization is working to create a more conscious and committed work environment and community in promoting sustainable and inclusive practices.
The interview is conducted by Francesco Antonioli.
Watch previous episodes here.
Climate change is the most critical challenge of our time. The impacts of global warming, including droughts, storms and other extreme weather events, are already being severely felt around the world. Urgent and sustained action must be taken both to mitigate climate change and to adapt to what is already inevitable.
Green Growth Generation is proud to be a partner of FARClimate, a Horizon-funded project that aims to implement transformative solutions on the path towards climate resilience in at least 20 regions and communities across Europe. The project addresses the complex challenges of developing and expanding climate resilience strategies, making them available and understandable to all, paying particular attention to the social, political and economic barriers commonly found.
To launch the project in the Turin area, GGG has organised, in collaboration with Rete ONG, Fiësca Verd and Fuori di Palazzo, an inaugural event to be held on Thursday 11 July at 5pm at the Orto Boschetto. The event will include a participatory workshop based on the Living Lab methodology, with the aim of promoting hands-on learning and active participation. This initiative will offer community members the opportunity to engage in meaningful activities and meet representatives of Turin’s community gardens. By bringing together different perspectives and experiences, we aim to strengthen the local social network and improve the collective impact on sustainable urban development.
LaGemma Venture s.r.l. is the new investment company established in March 2024 in Cuneo, by Fondazione CRC in collaboration with SocialFare | Centro per l’Innovazione Sociale, with the aim of creating an investment and growth hub based in Cuneo and capable of extending its operations nationwide.
The company’s mission is to attract the best startups at the Italian level, to help them grow within acceleration and investment paths implemented in collaboration with national partners.
To date, different companies have joined, as partners, LaGemma Venture: Fonti Alta Valle Po (Acqua Eva), Albertengo, Aurora Naturale, Baladin, Bio Poplar, eViso AI for commodities, GAI, JoinFruit, Michelis, Monge, Olimac, Rivoira Giovanni & Figli, San Bernardo, Golosità dal 1885 (Sebaste), Valgrana, Venchi.
LaGemma AGRIFOOD24 For A Sustainable Planet is the first call4future launched by LaGemma Venture, in collaboration with SocialFare IS Certified Incubator, and is designed to accelerate startups that can offer positive impact solutions through technology and innovation in Agrifood.
The goal of call4future is to attract the best ideas on four areas:
Startups with a validated prototype or in the revenue making stage, whose models have the potential to grow qualitatively, quantitatively and rapidly, nationally and internationally, can participate.
The program offers 4 months of intensive acceleration, a cash investment of up to €160k, prestigious partner companies in the agrifood field, access to a network of mentors and investors, and online and in-person coaching activities.
LaGemma AGRIFOOD24 is open until September 29, 2024: you can apply by filling out the form available here.
After the completion of the first stage of the initiative, the “Ideas Competition”, the 20th edition of the contest for new entrepreneurial projects now enters into full swing with its Stage II, the “Business Plan Competition“, promoted by I3P, Innovative Business Incubator of Politecnico di Torino, and 2i3T, Business Incubator of the University of Turin.
The contest is free of charge and is open to all aspiring entrepreneurs over the age of 18 with the aim of encouraging and supporting the creation of innovative and knowledge-intensive start-ups to promote the economic development of the Piedmont and Valle d’Aosta regions of Italy.
Anyone can participate, either individually or as a team, even without having taken part in the previous stage, by submitting by July 29th, 2024 an innovative business project in one of the five competition categories: Cleantech & Energy, ICT, Industrial, Life Sciences, Tourism and Cultural & Creative Industries.
Organised within the framework of the Italian National Award for Innovation (PNI) promoted by PNICube, Start Cup Piemonte Valle d’Aosta provides a unique opportunity to transform studies and research into business projects, regardless of their stage of development, and to join the network of innovative company incubators. The winners will in fact receive support for the birth of their start-ups, support in defining their strategy, accompaniment on the market through contact with their first customers, and introduction to investors and banks for raising capital.
Following the closing of applications on Tuesday, July 30th and after the intermediate evaluation phases of the applications collected, by the beginning of November the best start-up projects participating in the Business Plan Competition will be decided and then awarded with prizes of economic value, as well as special mentions, awarded with the support of a Jury consisting of entrepreneurs, venture capitalists and business angels.
Thanks to the endowment made available by the promoters and supporters of the 2024 edition, this year the total prize pool rises to more than €75,000 and will be provided in cash, intended to generate financial resources functional to the startup of innovative startups, and services, offered by various partners.
The three overall winners will receive cash prizes: the first place winner will receive a prize of €7,500, the second €5,000 and the third €2,500. The top six projects in the rankings will also be awarded a prize of 1,000 euros each for entry into PNI 2024, the Italian National Innovation Prize, the “champions cup” among the winning business projects of the regional Start Cups that this year will be held on December 5th & 6th, 2024 in Rome, organized by the University of Rome “Tor Vergata” in collaboration with the universities and research institutions of the Start Cup Lazio network, as part of the Lazio Innovation Ecosystem called Rome Technopole funded by PNRR.
As always, there will also be many special prizes up for grabs, offered by several sponsors interested in contributing concretely to the development of innovation:
Five special mentions will be also awarded:
To stay up-to-date on all the competition news, you can subscribe to the email newsletter via the form available at the bottom of each page of the competition website, or follow Start Cup Piemonte Valle d’Aosta on its official social channels: Facebook, LinkedIn and X.
Humanity has always looked to the future, both today and in the distant past. This is evidenced by the enormous legacy of the ancient Egyptians, whose history began over 6,000 years ago. We know it thanks to numerous innovations introduced into civilization and the monumental works—literally—constructed over three millennia to celebrate and preserve memory, with a vision centered on designing tomorrow.
The technology of the time is studied and narrated through contemporary technology, now projected towards the virtual era, by centers of excellence such as the Egyptian Museum of Turin, the oldest in the world and considered the most important after Cairo’s. This bridge between the past, present, and future will be the focus of the free meeting organized for Tuesday, July 16, 2024, by I3P, the Innovative Business Incubator of the Polytechnic University of Turin, with Christian Greco, Director of the Egyptian Museum.
Christian Greco has been directing the museum since 2014 and is responsible for the restructuring and reorganization projects of the museum itinerary in 2014-2015 and 2023-2025. Leading the museum, he oversees legal and financial aspects and all scientific activities, promoting numerous temporary and traveling exhibitions, organizing conferences, workshops, and social inclusion projects, and developing collaborations with museums, universities, and research institutes, both nationally and internationally.
Greco has served on the scientific committees of various Italian and international museums and institutions. He is also the author of over 90 scientific publications and has been a keynote speaker at numerous national and international conferences. Alongside his teaching activities in Egyptology and Museology, he maintains a busy schedule of public engagements for scientific dissemination.
The July 16 meeting at I3P is part of the special event series titled Scintille: a series of meetings with brilliant minds and prominent personalities, not only from the world of technology, who have made significant impacts in their fields and beyond. The series is promoted by the incubator on the occasion of its 25th anniversary, continuing to offer the innovation community new opportunities for gathering, discussion, and inspiration for the entrepreneurship of tomorrow.
The meeting will be held on Tuesday, July 16, 2024, starting at 6:00 PM, in person at the Agorà Hall of the I3P incubator, located within the Campus of the Polytechnic University of Turin and accessible from both the main gate at Corso Castelfidardo 30/A and the pedestrian entrance at Via Pier Carlo Boggio 59.
Participation in the event is free, but registration on Eventbrite is required.
6:00 PM | Participant Welcome
6:10 PM | Introductory Greetings – Paola Mogliotti, Director of I3P
6:15 PM | Opening of the Meeting – Adriano Marconetto, Entrepreneur In Residence of I3P
6:20 PM | Conversation with Christian Greco, Director of the Egyptian Museum of Turin
7:00 PM | Q&A Session with the Audience
7:20 PM | Conclusion of the Meeting
