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Strategically located (IBM Studios in Piazza Gae Aulenti, Milan), a diverse and authoritative panel of representatives from institutions, businesses and academia discussed the topic of the moment: Artificial Intelligence. At the “Reunion 2024” organized by Fondazione Nova and United Ventures, we specifically discussed “Artificial Humanism” and how it is possible (and necessary) to guarantee that technological innovation is guided by values and driven by new generations of talent. Between keynotes and networking moments, we explored how artificial intelligence, quantum computing and other emerging digital solutions are redefining the paradigm of growth and transformation processes, the future of technological investments and the guidelines to follow in training and attracting competent professionals to lead this transformation. All this comes after a coexistence between technology and humanity that can and must be not only possible, but also sustainable.
The secret: strengths, mentorship, and unconventional learning
The question first is: how can today’s and tomorrow’s leaders manage innovation and seize the opportunities offered by disruptive technologies such as artificial intelligence? The solution proposed by Fondazione Nova, thanks to the experience gained from 2022 to date (after the “merger” of the Italian MBA Nova Association and the Mentors4u network) and as a community that brings together about 5,000 Italian talents and more than 1,650 mentors who offer their time for free, is very clear. We start with the strategic goal of developing flexible talents, encouraging less specialized and more horizontal learning paths, more multidisciplinary oriented, preparing young people for continuous change. The second pillar of this vision responds to the principle of merit-based recruitment. To this end, it is necessary to create an ecosystem conducive to attracting international talent, providing elite opportunities and a stimulating environment for innovative thinking. The third work implemented by Fondazione Nova is the promotion of mentorship, pursued by spreading a mentor culture and stimulating intergenerational exchanges, with the ultimate goal of providing young people with expert guidance to guide their educational and professional growth. Finally, we come back to the most innovative part of this approach, which is the need to encourage non-traditional pathways, push talent to explore alternative professional experiences, such as joining startups or starting their own companies, and foster an entrepreneurial culture in a dynamic environment.
Training and more training
For the World Employment Confederation’s 2024 study “The Jobs We Want”, which interviewed 680 companies from the Forbes Global 2000, more than 92% of managers interviewed believe that increasingly flexible resources are needed to cope with the changes brought about. About innovation. Starting from these figures, Tommaso Stefani, co-founder and president of the NOVA Foundation and the Italian MBA Association, constructed scenarios for talent value-added projects in which he is directly involved. In his speech, he stressed that technological innovation is growing exponentially and is increasingly disruptive, such as artificial intelligence, which is optimistic because of its potential, but can also be disorienting. Therefore, it is increasingly valuable for young talents to have a mentor by their side who can help them find the flexible and universal directions, methods and interpretations that only first-hand experience of change can provide. “
But why, in a country like ours that is ageing so rapidly (according to Istat, the demographic pyramid has reached a record ratio of one young person for every two older people), in response to a specific question, is there still a lack of a mentoring culture? Stephanie’s answer starts from afar, from the post-war period, looking back at the history of a model of raising children that has changed from one focused on discipline to one that is protective, believing (wrongly) that fulfilling any request is a real help for growth “As a result – and this is the first assumption of the NOVA Foundation – a culture that sees young people as inexperienced people who always have to wait for their turn, instead of evaluating resources through a meritocratic model. It is therefore necessary to move away from conflict and towards intergenerational relationships and mentoring, something that our MBA alumni have learned at American universities and that we promote in Italy, also thanks to our matching algorithm, which builds a bridge, a constructive relationship, a help. Exchange of knowledge between people with different levels of experience “. Instead, the presentation by Irene Boni, Global CEO of Talent Garden and Alumna NOVA, drew attention to the impact of new technologies, specifying how “the democratization of generative AI offers a unique opportunity to accelerate and transform the innovation process of organizations and invest talent in them” and reminding leaders of the challenge they face in developing “the ability to lose control of detailed decisions to create an environment of broad responsibility” amid the rapid pace of technological change. This idea was also emphasized by Stefano Rebattoni, President and CEO of IBM Italia, who observed that when generative AI is incorporated into corporate strategy, “leaders should foster a mindset and a business culture that encourages the conscious and responsible adoption of this technology, guiding people through change and leveraging fully trained people”.
The maturation of Italy’s innovation ecosystem
Pietro Sella, the eponymous CEO of the group, also spoke of the challenges of the new, accelerated phase of the digital transformation process that is going through, thanks to the growing maturity of artificial intelligence. “The main challenge is to know how to reduce innovation related to human capital, which we certainly cannot ignore in order to have a positive impact on the economy and society as a whole,” he said. “If AI is used to its full potential, it will open up new areas of inclusive and sustainable economic and social development, providing young people with professional opportunities and the possibility of creating new business ideas, but this requires a strong development of training and education models”. Finally, venture capitalists such as Massimiliano Magrini, founder and managing partner of United Ventures, invited everyone to think about how technology startups, always up-to-date and necessary, can provide new growth paradigms in a world that is constantly evolving. But has the Italian innovation ecosystem finally reached a stage of maturity that rewards new companies that really know how to break the mold and create value for business and society? “It has made great progress and reached a critical turning point, acquiring a solid structure that can be sustained in the long term, while further efforts are needed to consolidate and strengthen all its components”, explains Magrini. He also highlights how Italy has proven over the past decade that it has all the elements to compete internationally, confirming the validity of our country’s initial bet on the viability of venture capital and triggering a virtuous circle that guarantees foreign capital inflows and further investments. However, there is still a missing piece and according to the founder of United Ventures, “they are the great aggregators and integrators of innovation, which is why Italy, and more broadly Europe, are great exporters of technology”. If the idea of venture capital as a key element of industrial policy still needs to be fully implemented, another key aspect that needs to be developed at the end is the interconnection between ecosystems to encourage dialogue and exchange. “Just as in the system of transport vessels, undercapitalized ecosystems risk losing their edge, so it is imperative to continue to create sufficient scale to fully exploit Italy’s entrepreneurial talent”, Magrini concludes.
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