The project of the Politecnico di Milano OFF CAMPUS will be among the recipients of the Ambrogino d'Oro 2022, the civic honour awarded each year by Municipality of Milan on 7 December, St. Ambrose's Day.
OFF CAMPUS | Il Cantiere per le Periferie is an initiative promoted by Polisocial, the social engagement and responsibility programme of the Politecnico di Milano, with the aim of strengthening the presence of Politecnico in the city of Milan. The first Off Campus space was opened in the San Siro neighbourhood in April 2019, followed by new spaces in the NoLo district (September 2020) and in the San Vittore detention centre (October 2022). A fourth Off Campus space will soon settle at Cascina Nosedo, a former farmhouse.
In the Off Campus spaces, teachers, researchers and students of the Politecnico can develop innovative teaching ideas, responsible research and co-design activities capable of generating a positive impact on the community. The underlying concept is that of a more engaged University, targeting social challenges and closer to neighbourhoods and communities.
First in Italy among academic initiatives of this kind, the Polisocial Award aims to support and initiate responsible research projects with high social impact, while also supporting them with a view to sustainability over time. The initiative also aims to provide space for young researchers and cultivate an ethical approach to academic work that enhances the social impact of polytechnic expertise.
Among the initiatives promoted by Polisocial is the Polisocial Award, an annual competition funded by donations from the 5 per mille, which has been supporting and initiating responsible, high social impact research projects since 2012, also supporting them with a view to sustainability over time. The initiative also aims to provide space for young researchers and cultivate an ethical approach to academic work that enhances the social impact of polytechnic expertise.
“‘The last editorial for MAP as rector ... a farewell that, I confess, brings with it many memories. I think back to the emotion I felt on election day, in that cold November of 2016. The same that accompanied me two months later when this ‘adventure’ officially began. One of the most fantastic of my life!’
Thus begins prof. Ferruccio Resta, outgoing rector of the Politecnico di Milano, recounting his journey at the helm of the Politecnico: from ‘Breakfasts in the Laboratory’ (because, he writes, ‘our soul lies in research’) to responsibility towards the many boys and girls of our University, ‘even greater during the pandemic’.
‘In the emergency, I faced the appointment as President of the CRUI: reading, after a few hours by train on the Rome-Milan line, the tragic news arriving from Wuhan. A real baptism of fire for me. Today, after three years of living on the edge, I admit that I am proud of how the university system has reacted to the pandemic. It has proven to be the backbone of the country’.
In the editorial, Resta traces some of the challenges that marked his mandate. ‘Keeping on a straight course was not easy, but possible thanks to a clear and shared vision of where we wanted to go. The mission outlined in the Strategic Plan has indicated the course, that of a ‘European Leading University’, with an eye open to international comparison, capable of interpreting change’.
He concludes by quoting Henry Ford: ‘Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress, working together is success. And you, dear Alumni, have always been there for me and for the polytechnic community.
Studying architecture is like studying all the sciences, commerce and the arts at the same time, we read on theknowledgereview.com. This is the approach of Rajendra Kumar, Alumnus Architecture 2008, selected from among the “Most Admired Education Influencers in India, 2022”.
"I firmly believe in the robust role of industry and academia, which complement each other," comments Kumar. "I always believe in the need for continued efforts to bridge the gap in the practicalities of the Indian education curriculum."
Courtesy of Rajendra Kumar
Rajendra Kumar is an architect based in New Delhi, India. He is also an academic, urban planner, researcher and writer. Returning to India after graduating from the Poli, he opened an architecture studio and worked in Europe and Asia. He held the position of Head of the School of Architecture, Noida International University (2018-2021), focusing on the issues of environmental and urban sustainability. He received the ‘Indian Young Achievers Award’ in 2009, and was recognized as ‘Global Educational Influencer 2020’. He is a member of the International Society of City and Regional Planners (ISOCARP), Netherlands, and of the Council of Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat, USA.
A new important achievement for PoliMOVE Autonomous Racing Teamon Friday 11 November the team of the Politecnico di Milano got the first place in theIndy Autonomous Challengeat Texas Motor Speedway. The IAC is the competition in which university teams from around the world compete to advance technology of fully autonomous vehicles.
9 teams competed with their Dallara AV-21 autonomous racecars, guided by an artificial intelligence software developed by each team. MinerVa, the Politecnico car, was the fastest.
PoliMOVE is part of the Politecnico research group mOve, led by Professor Sergio Savaresi, which studies automatic controls in all types of land vehicles: from electric bicycles to cars and even tractors.
Alumna Elena Bottinelliwho graduated from the Politecnico di Milano in 1991 with a degree in electronic engineering and a specialisation in bioengineering, is the Head of Innovation and Digitalization at Gruppo San Donatoand has been included in the list of the 50 Most Powerful Women by Fortune Italia magazine, which tells the 50 stories of success, commitment and perseverance of the 50 women that are inspiring, across the world, cultural debate not only about the value of diversity in business in general but, more broadly, the fundamental role of women in contemporary society.
According to the magazine, the Alumna distinguished herself
“during the pandemic years, guiding some of the most important Italian hospitals involved in the fight against the virus. She is known for her interest in the development and application of technologies to improve the quality of patient care, like that of telemedicine.”
Before joining Gruppo San Donato, Bottinelli worked for ten years in leading multinationals in the field of medical and orthopaedic devices.
In 2017, she took part in the 6th edition of the Alumni Politecnico di Milano Convention (see the video here), emphasising the importance of the healthcare system. “A city’s first objective is to keep its citizens healthy,” she remarked, speaking about a future in which technology, from wearables to machine learning, will play an increasingly significant role in prevention and health monitoring, facilitating personalised, remote medicine and a system of clinics distributed locally.
“The future is at our fingertips. We should not be afraid of technology, rather we should understand it and use it ethically: it will teach us to make more conscientious decisions.”
SATURDAY 12 NOVEMBER 2022 - The Politecnico di Milano’s alumni community gathered in the heart of Milan for the 11th edition of the convention, a yearly chance to discuss the questions and challenges posed by the modern world. Over 700 alumni were present in person and 300 followed the live stream of the event, all of whom were looking for an answer to the question that gave rise to the day's reflections: “What now, what is waiting for us?” WATCH THE VIDEO
The question is a fair one even if it is ambitious, maintained the day’s host, Professor Enrico Zio |, President of Alumni Politecnico di Milano and Rector’s Delegate. “If we turn our gaze to the past, to the last 50 years of science, we see space travel for the first time, huge strides in medicine and the incredible, albeit sometimes disastrous, effects of our ability to harness matter and energy; we see the world in a state of constant transformation and changes in the way we live, communicate, travel, work and even play.” Each era has its own challenges and each decade new urgent questions to which we must respond. Science and technology urge us to ask ourselves: What's around the next corner?
Gaela Bernini, Secretary General of Fondazione Bracco, Alberto Mattiello, a business futurist, author and prominent speaker, Stefano Rebattoni, CEO of IBM Italy, Francesca Reich, CEO and General Manager of Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca di Stato, and Antonella Scaglia, CEO of IMQ Group, took to the stage in the Trifoglio building. All are Politecnico di Milano alumni and focus on the pressing challenges of our time: sustainability, inclusion and social impact.
Credits: Tommaso Chemello
Bernini broke the ice with an invitation to look up: to
“look at space and space exploration, because we need to reconsider the anthropocentrism that is typical of a western, patriarchal model, and to remember the extent to which our choices have an impact today and tomorrow.”
Space, like science, teaches us models for peaceful international relations and productive collaborations between public and private entities. Our differences and local attitudes pale in comparison to the achievement of the greater good.
Gaela Bernini (Credits: Tommaso Chemello)
Un aggancio per Reich, rientrata in Italia dopo lunga esperienza internazionale: “Sono rientrata in Italia dagli Stati Uniti per lavorare per il mio Paese. Sono orgogliosa di essere Alumna del Politecnico, credo che gli Alumni e in particolare gli ingegneri possano avere sempre più impatto sociale, perché per gestire questa complessità abbiamo bisogno di proposte tecniche. Il mio suggerimento a questa community è quello di non sottovalutare il “qui e ora”: pensiamo anche al metaverso, al quantum, al futuro; ma progettiamo infrastrutture che funzionino bene oggi, che siano un asset per l’Italia nei prossimi 10-15 anni. Proteggiamo le nostre eccellenze ed il nostro territorio. Cerchiamo di avere la sensibilità per non rincorrere l’innovazione a tutti i costi e cogliere il “good enough” per implementare un ragionamento strategico ed inclusivo”.
“We have the technology,” he remarked, “We have the talent. We are training the skills. What we need to work on in Italy is a model of cooperation and collaboration, which is open and inclusive, between institutions, education, the public and private sectors and the world of innovation. Doing business through the use of ‘digital for real’: with the aim of achieving economic and social value for the collective.
Stefano Rebattoni (credits: Tommaso Chemello)
Words that look to the future while being rooted in the present. Likewise, those of Mattiello, who opened by paraphrasing Gullit, inviting us “not to watch the ball, that is not to look (only) at innovation: innovation, like the direction of the ball, is the end result of a series of choices that come from afar, which travel a long way before arriving on the market. And which, if they arrive, is because they meet a need: this step is the most important.” We must not forget, however, that innovation continues to fly: for example, in the last month alone, Tesla has presented the prototype of a “mass-produced robot”; Meta has adapted the metaverse for the world of work and training; Midjourney's V4 was released...
“Text to image. Text to code. Text to text. Text to design. Text to... means that, in all likelihood, we will have managers that are no longer responsible for managing business, but instead manage machines that manage business.”
Alberto Mattiello (credits: Tommaso Chemello)
Scaglia concluded by touching on a very practical subject: how innovation is received by the public:
“Forms of resistance are often met. Because innovation is a wide concept, it does not only relate to technology but also to processes, the organisation and ultimately, people. For this reason, it is necessary to invest in training and communication: in order that individuals can make decisions that conform to the overall strategy, because decisions are made at all levels, in all roles.”
Antonella Scaglia (credits: Tommaso Chemello)
A special place in this Convention was dedicated to the outgoing Rector, Professor Ferruccio Resta, who finishes his mandate and passes the baton to the next Rector, Professor Donatella Sciuto. Retracing the key points of the last 6 years, it has been a term characterised by particularly difficult times globally and unforeseen circumstances:
“Indeed, it was not easy to keep things on an even keel, but it was made possible by a clear, shared vision of where we wanted to end up. The mission set out in the Strategic Plan indicated the course, that of becoming a “Leading European University”, keeping one eye on the international stage and being capable of adapting to any changes. The responsibility of those that manage public institutions is to improve them. This has been my commitment, which I have pursued with the help of you all. Your support has been invaluable. Your suggestions have been a great incentive. Your criticism has helped the Politecnico to grow. And you, dearest alumni, have always been here for the Politecnico community and me, and I know that you always will be."
Il Rettore Ferruccio Resta (credits: Tommaso Chemello)
SATURDAY 12 NOVEMBER 2022 - The Politecnico di Milano’s alumni community gathered in the heart of Milan for the 11th edition of the convention, a yearly chance to discuss the questions and challenges posed by the modern world. Over 700 alumni were present in person and 300 followed the live stream of the event, all of whom were looking for an answer to the question that gave rise to the day's reflections: “What now, what is waiting for us?” WATCH THE VIDEO
The question is a fair one even if it is ambitious, maintained the day’s host, Professor Enrico Zio |, President of Alumni Politecnico di Milano and Rector’s Delegate. “If we turn our gaze to the past, to the last 50 years of science, we see space travel for the first time, huge strides in medicine and the incredible, albeit sometimes disastrous, effects of our ability to harness matter and energy; we see the world in a state of constant transformation and changes in the way we live, communicate, travel, work and even play.” Each era has its own challenges and each decade new urgent questions to which we must respond. Science and technology urge us to ask ourselves: What's around the next corner?
Gaela Bernini, Secretary General of Fondazione Bracco, Alberto Mattiello, a business futurist, author and prominent speaker, Stefano Rebattoni, CEO of IBM Italy, Francesca Reich, CEO and General Manager of Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca di Stato, and Antonella Scaglia, CEO of IMQ Group, took to the stage in the Trifoglio building. All are Politecnico di Milano alumni and focus on the pressing challenges of our time: sustainability, inclusion and social impact.
Credits: Tommaso Chemello
Bernini broke the ice with an invitation to look up: to
“look at space and space exploration, because we need to reconsider the anthropocentrism that is typical of a western, patriarchal model, and to remember the extent to which our choices have an impact today and tomorrow.”
Space, like science, teaches us models for peaceful international relations and productive collaborations between public and private entities. Our differences and local attitudes pale in comparison to the achievement of the greater good.
Gaela Bernini (Credits: Tommaso Chemello)
Reich, who returned to Italy after long international experience, also spoke:
"I returned to Italy from the United States to work for my country. I am proud to be an Alumna of the Politecnico, I believe that Alumni and in particular engineers can have more and more social impact, because to manage this complexity we need technical proposals. My suggestion to this community is not to underestimate the 'here and now': let us also think about the metaverse, the quantum, the future; but let us design infrastructures that work well today, that will be an asset for Italy in the next 10-15 years. Let us protect our excellence and our territory. Let us have the sensitivity not to chase innovation at all costs and seize the 'good enough' to implement strategic and inclusive reasoning".
“We have the technology,” he remarked, “We have the talent. We are training the skills. What we need to work on in Italy is a model of cooperation and collaboration, which is open and inclusive, between institutions, education, the public and private sectors and the world of innovation. Doing business through the use of ‘digital for real’: with the aim of achieving economic and social value for the collective.
Stefano Rebattoni (credits: Tommaso Chemello)
Words that look to the future while being rooted in the present. Likewise, those of Mattiello, who opened by paraphrasing Gullit, inviting us “not to watch the ball, that is not to look (only) at innovation: innovation, like the direction of the ball, is the end result of a series of choices that come from afar, which travel a long way before arriving on the market. And which, if they arrive, is because they meet a need: this step is the most important.” We must not forget, however, that innovation continues to fly: for example, in the last month alone, Tesla has presented the prototype of a “mass-produced robot”; Meta has adapted the metaverse for the world of work and training; Midjourney's V4 was released...
“Text to image. Text to code. Text to text. Text to design. Text to... means that, in all likelihood, we will have managers that are no longer responsible for managing business, but instead manage machines that manage business.”
Alberto Mattiello (credits: Tommaso Chemello)
Scaglia concluded by touching on a very practical subject: how innovation is received by the public:
“Forms of resistance are often met. Because innovation is a wide concept, it does not only relate to technology but also to processes, the organisation and ultimately, people. For this reason, it is necessary to invest in training and communication: in order that individuals can make decisions that conform to the overall strategy, because decisions are made at all levels, in all roles.”
Antonella Scaglia (credits: Tommaso Chemello)
A special place in this Convention was dedicated to the outgoing Rector, Professor Ferruccio Resta, who finishes his mandate and passes the baton to the next Rector, Professor Donatella Sciuto. Retracing the key points of the last 6 years, it has been a term characterised by particularly difficult times globally and unforeseen circumstances:
“Indeed, it was not easy to keep things on an even keel, but it was made possible by a clear, shared vision of where we wanted to end up. The mission set out in the Strategic Plan indicated the course, that of becoming a “Leading European University”, keeping one eye on the international stage and being capable of adapting to any changes. The responsibility of those that manage public institutions is to improve them. This has been my commitment, which I have pursued with the help of you all. Your support has been invaluable. Your suggestions have been a great incentive. Your criticism has helped the Politecnico to grow. And you, dearest alumni, have always been here for the Politecnico community and me, and I know that you always will be."
Il Rettore Ferruccio Resta (credits: Tommaso Chemello)
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