[Marco]

#12103

Hello everyone!
My name is Marco and I am 21 years old. I am going to graduate in Communication, Innovation and Multimedia (CIM) at the University of Pavia. Over the years, curiosity about the world of innovation and new technologies has become stronger and stronger in me. From an early age I watched my father work on the computer while he was programming and I was fascinated. Now I got here. I am looking forward to hearing your stories and listening to your opinions and ideas. I’m very excited. I think this opportunity is a reason for personal growth for me, as well as increasing my know-how considerably. Getting in touch with important players in the innovation field can make us understand every little nuance of this still little-known world.
I can’t wait to start discussing with you!

If you like, I leave you my LinkedIn profile.

Bye!

Marco

[Marco]

#12041

Hello everyone!

We have reached the end of this experience. I would like to thank you all for sharing your ideas with me and listening to mine. Today’s conference was again illuminating. Arianna Maschietto sent me many emotions by telling her experience.

At the end of this journey I would like to summarize what I will take home. Everything started from the various forms of innovation. To quote Mr. Lotito “technologies at the service of humanity“, able to bring many benefits to our lives, especially in this situation in which we are living.

We also discussed a lot about the Silicon Valley model as a model to imitate. Listening to the stories of those who work with passion in the field of innovation, we understood that Italy can also be great in the world. We have always had the brightest minds and the talent to make incredible things. All the people we met during these seminars have shown that they believe in Italy and I would like to mention the last thing Arianna said “the luck for us Italians is to have talent and excellence on a global level. In addition to an important human capital“. We also understood that slow bureaucracy and taxation are the biggest obstacle for our startups. Things are moving in the right direction though. As I have already argued in a previous article, the government is investing heavily in innovation. Every obstacle can be overcome and as Arianna said “the collaboration between the different actors brings value to everyone. This will be the key to creating a strong ecosystem“. Where to start though? By us students, by us digital natives. As someone said “if not us, who can bring Italy to be great in the world?“. I strongly believe in the Italian ecosystem and I strongly believe in the work of VC like Plug and Play. The talent is there and there is also a great desire to do.

We also discussed the effects that this situation will bring to our daily lives. When everything is over, the world will be completely changed. Social habits and behaviours are sure to change. Although the measures arise in the face of a critical moment, they could mark the definitive transition to digital, structurally accelerating this transformation. Here arises the need to invest in innovation and to quote @paolomarenco “opportunity arises from problems“.

Sometimes, however, it goes beyond the famous creepy line mentioned by Hannah Fry and here there are doubts and insecurities towards innovations. With the authorities who ask us to share our data through large tech companies, the question on the protection of our privacy returns to be felt. We have all been quite in agreement in saying that a balance should be found between the use and abuse of technology, also through means of media education. But I remain firmly convinced, and many with me, that the right to health comes first. At least in this specific season, always remembering that in legislative matters we will always be protected. Although we are outraged by the abuse of our data, we are the first to do nothing, when it would be enough (as I mentioned yesterday) to set aside the automatisms and educate ourselves to read what we have before our eyes.

To conclude, I believe that every form of innovation is a potential benefit for all of us. As innovations are constantly evolving, it is normal for problems and critical issues to arise during the journey. But if the opportunity arises from the problem, this will only lead to a considerable improvement in all those innovative processes that we discussed together this month. To quote Mr. Lotito “... and long live the critical issues!“.

 

I thank everyone again for listening to me. Thanks to @robertarabellotti and @paolomarenco for giving me the opportunity to be able to live and breathe a little of this fantastic world and thanks to @ismaelepaoli for continuously spurring us with new ideas. I would like to stay in touch with each of you and in this regard I leave you my LinkedIn profile.

See you soon!

Marco

[Marco]

#12023

Good afternoon guys!
As for the topic started by @giorgiaamatemaggio, I would like to share an article with you. This time we play at home: this is the report of an interview with Mr. Rino Falcone, research director of the Cnr Institute of Sciences and Technologies of Cognition, published in the Science and Research section of the Bo Live of the University of Padua.

Coronavirus: when trust becomes the goal. The results of a Cnr study.
Let me know briefly what you think about.

See you later!
Marco

[Marco]

#12011

Good evening guys and a big welcome to @tommasoalabardi!

All in all, I think we are all quite in agreement. As @serenagabetta once again pointed out, the data obtained from mobile phones make up the largest data set that the authorities can have to deal with the emergency. On the question of privacy, the doubt to be asked remains the same: is there an insurmountable boundary between the right to health and the right to privacy? On this, once again, I agree with what Borrelli said. The right to health comes first. Without health there can be no privacy.

As far as the effects on the economy and society are concerned, we can only rely on studies and forecasts, but only time will demonstrate with certainty whether these have really been spot on. The only thing that seems sure for now (just to see the positive side) is the collapse of global pollution and the reconquest of cities by animals.

In my opinion, there is confusion about big data. The collection of data, the famous and feared tracing, takes place through tools called Cookies. These are nothing more than small text files. This files are saved on your computer from a site you have visited, and which will then be sent back to the same site every time you repeat the visit. Inside the cookie we can find some information including a unique numerical code randomly generated by the computer that identifies the device in that session. Here I am talking about first-party cookies or technical cookies. They are tools sent directly from the site you are visiting, and which have functions such as identification and authentication (tell the site that you are not a new user). In this case, the cookie can only be deciphered by the site that sent it.

All other cookies are called third-party cookies. Most third-party cookies are made up of tracking cookies. These are cookies used to track your online behaviour, understand your interests and then customize the advertising proposals to be shown on the sites you visit. These types of cookies are not managed by the site we are visiting, but by third parties. Most of the controversies over the protection of personal data arise right here. But I continue to think that cookies of any nature are very useful tools.

I’m not a computer engineer, but I encourage you to read some more information. On the web you can find many.

I refer you to the Wikipedia page:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HTTP_cookie

 

The real problem is that data are always acquiring growing economic value. As various situations have already shown us, whoever owns the data is able to manipulate thousands of people. This is the true misuse of the data. Despite this, we are ourselves to accept the same information where it is in writing what datas they are collecting about us. By now the “accept and continue” automation has taken over. Here is the paradox: we are terrified, we do not feel safe, we put the scotch tape on the webcam but at a “legal” declaration of theft we click on “accept and continue”. Unfortunately, regulations will never come to protect us from this. I agree with what many have said about media education, but every now and then (I’m the first) it would be enough to just leave aside the automatisms due to our being digital natives. On many occasions we should take inspiration from our grandparents, the so-called “digital immigrants of the modern era”. Where the fear of the new turns into true awareness of the world in which they are venturing.

Given the late hour, I hope I made sense of my words.

“See” you tomorrow at the conference.

Good night.

Marco

[Marco]

#11975

Good evening everyone! I hope you had a good weekend.

First, I would like to answer the question of @giorgiaamatemaggio: “should we trust that companies will not use our data once the emergency period is over?”

Our Constitution and the institutes set up to protect our data guarantee that they will not be disclosed except for the purpose for which they were collected. I agree with @gabriellalocati. We must give data brokers the benefit of the doubt, at least in this specific season we are experiencing. I would like to remind you that the data that we citizens are currently providing to actors such as Google or Vodafone remain limited to our location in space and time (many articles have already been mentioned about it).

Doubts could arise in the use of applications such as “AllertaLOM“, made available by Lombardy in order to use data driven technologies to develop accurate statistical models on the evolution of the epidemic. The questionnaire to be filled in daily remains anonymous, but psychographic and demographic data (age, gender, and residence) are requested inside.

The juice is worth the squeeze. Let me explain better: having ascertained that these data end up in the hands of the region and the Italian technical-scientific committee, and therefore they are not used for profit, I am in favour of the processing of my data. To give an example, the situation that saw the use of user data for manipulation and persuasion purposes through misleading advertising was quite different. For example, the scandal involving Facebook and Cambridge Analyica (which I think we all know well) about Trump‘s presidential campaign and the recent Brexit.

I agree in part on what @gabrieleverde said “the construction of a real awareness of citizens is a main point“. Although I am a digital native who lives in technology, I do not consider myself very aware. Since 2016, anyone who uses the famous Cookies must specify in detail which types of information are requested, in order to make this transfer of data transparent. In my everyday life I think that nothing has changed: I continue to surf without asking myself the problem of being tracked on the web.

Finally, to answer @fabianadurso ‘s questions, various experiences teach us that the data, however anonymous they may be, will always keep a small string of identification code of your person. I am hopeful, in recent years many countries around the world have moved in favour of us network users through regulations and laws such as the European GDPR, also taken as an example overseas.

Good night!

Marco

[Marco]

#11950

Good morning guys!

Thanks @ismaelepaoli for the interesting articles.

As we know, in recent years we have witnessed the growing demand for the protection of our data. After the scandals involving Zuckerberg’s Facebook and Alexander Nix’s Cambridge Analytica, the blind trust we previously placed in social media was suddenly supplanted by many doubts about it. As Hannah Fry said “[…] And this is where we begin to move dangerously away from the creepy line, from that limit that should not be exceeded: when private and delicate information concerning you is collected without your consent and then be used for manipulative purposes or for profit […] “.

From my point of view, I believe that the situation today is very different. First, in Europe every action taken by any actor in terms of data collection must be carried out in compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation 2016/679. Then we should consider (speaking of Italy) the powers of the State in emergency situations such as the one we are experiencing.

In this regard, I would like to report two questions and related answers from an interview with Antonello Soro, president of the authority responsible for the protection of personal data.

Mr. Borrelli, director of civil protection, says you have already discussed a hypothetical insurmountable boundary between the right to privacy and the right to health. And you concluded that, I quote Borrelli, “the right to health is first seen that without health there can be no privacy”. Is this so?

“The Guarantor for Privacy and Civil Protection have spoken on this issue. The Guarantor gave a favourable opinion on the first measure, which was only two days later than the decree which on January 31 declared the existence of a state of emergency, in the most serious form between those required by law. They are the same powers that are attributed to the Commissioner during earthquakes and other events. In emergency situations, a different balance between individual and constitutional rights is envisaged. For example, a series of initiatives was not appropriate do-it-yourself in the workplace between those who could enter and who could not. A single discipline was decided, and we conformed. The role of the Guarantor in such difficult moments, which we do not imagine are short-lived, is to supervise for find the right measure and avoid dangerous blank delegations. However, we must collaborate with those who have the difficult task of managing new dynamics, known to most. Surely you need control hierarchies. ”

In Lombardy they used cell phone to understand if people move from home. That’s right?

“Yes, if we are dealing with truly anonymous data that describe mobility flows but do not identify people. Other would be if we wanted to collect identification data: in this case, adequate guarantees and precise rules with time limits are needed. The theme, in the season that we are living, is that in any case we must lose the share of our freedoms necessary to fight the pandemic “.

I personally believe that what is happening is not a violation of privacy. As Borrelli said “the right to health is first seen that without health there can be no privacy” and I fully agree on this. The collaboration between the state and large service providers such as Google and Vodafone can only be positive, obviously if all the mechanisms have been conducted in respect of our privacy.

Have a Good day!

Marco

[Marco]

#11940

Good evening everyone!

I thank @giorgiaamatemaggio for the suggestion to Black Mirror. I saw all the Netflix series and loved it.

A light bulb came on and I went to look for some ideas in the old notes of a course that can be interesting to share with you all. I noticed there are some of my classmates and maybe someone will already know. In the first half I attended the course “Sounds and noise in the era of big data” (from which Hannah Fry’s book also comes) and Mr. Costa suggested this short video of which I will leave you the link. In the article you can find more detailed information.

https://www.dezeen.com/2016/05/23/keiichi-matsuda-hyper-reality-film-dystopian-future-digital-interfaces-augmented-reality/

Good night!

Marco

[Marco]

#11935

Hello everyone! How are you?

First of all, thank you all for sharing your considerations with me.

I would like to answer the interesting question from @chiarasperto: “will we be able to respect the limit between the use and abuse of technology? In your opinion, could machines be a threat or an opportunity tomorrow?”

To try to answer I would like to refer to a text by Hannah Fry entitled “Hello World: How to be Human in the Age of the Machine” of 2018. Hannah Fry teaches Mathematics of the cities at University College London. In his research he uses mathematical models to reveal behavioral patterns of the population, often collaborating with governments, law enforcement agencies and health analysts and supermarkets.

In the book, thas was later translated and published in Italian by Bollati Boringhieri in 2019, Mrs. Fry analyzes the application of algorithms in many fields of our daily lives: power, data, justice, medicine, cars, crime and arts.

I would like to mention some introductory and conclusive parts which in my opinion partially contain an answer to the question.

“[…] Behind each of these inventions there is an algorithm. To the algorithms, invisible fragments of code that make up the gears of the modern era of machines, we owe everything, from the news that reaches us through social media to search engines, from satellite navigation to music suggestion systems. Algorithms are an integral part of modern infrastructure […] “.

“[…] Nobody doubts the absolutely positive impact of automation on every aspect of our existence. [..] Apparently, however, the unstoppable push of automation and the urgent desire to solve many of the evils that afflict humanity have led us to replace one problem with another. The algorithms, however useful and capable of incredible things, have left us a great skein to unravel. [..] Perhaps the solution is this: to create algorithms whose decisions can be questioned at any level. Algorithms designed to help us decide and not to give us instructions, which do not just give us the result of a calculation but show us the reasons for that particular choice. Personally, I believe that the best algorithms are those that never lose sight of the human component. Those who recognize our tendency to overly trust the output of a machine and who are not ashamed to show their defects and limitations. […] ”

Personally, I agree with the author. I also see some of the FacilityLive philosophy in this story. The future of innovation will push towards the creation of new technologies to improve human life. Mr. Lotito concluded the conference with these words: “in this situation it is evident that the human being is more important than an algorithm or a machine“.

But I would like to know your opinion. Do you agree with the vision of the future told by Hannah Fry?

 

As for the question posed by @giorgiaamatemaggio “will people accept this type of control from the health of national security? Or will there be privacy issues in your opinion? “, I’d like to share with you an article from TechCrunch entitled “What are the rules wrapping privacy during Covid-19?”

https://techcrunch.com/2020/03/20/what-are-the-rules-wrapping-privacy-during-covid-19/

 

Finally, to complete the roundup of  techs initiatives to deal with the emergency we are experiencing, I would also like to mention one (which you will surely know). I leave you the link to an article taken from the online newspaper LaStampa.

https://www.lastampa.it/topnews/edizioni-locali/alessandria/2020/04/02/news/un-app-per-sapere-in-tempo-reale-le-code-ai-supermercati-e-nelle-farmacie-1.38670308

 

I wish you a good weekend.

Marco

• This reply was modified 3 years, 5 months ago by Marco.

[Marco]

#11922

Good afternoon everybody!

To return to one of the first topics about the applications of technologies today, I share with you this article from the Corriere della Sera. Just to contextualize, I’m from Varese and my mom works at the Circolo hospital. When she returned home yestarday she told me with great emotion what had happened.

I leave you with the article!

https://www.corriere.it/video-articoli/2020/04/01/i-sette-robot-corsia-che-curano-pazienti-affetti-covid19-far-fronte-carenza-medici-infermieri/b8c51084-7419-11ea-b181-d5820c4838fa.shtml

Bye!

Marco

 

[Marco]

#11914

Good evening guys!
After reading some of your opinions about the conference, I would like to say something (even if I have already done partially).
Like all of you, I left the conference even more motivated than I already was.
During the conference Lotito underlined one fundamental thing: “what seems normal to us today was actually a world of transformations. What has changed radically today are users who use technology. “ From my point of view, the pioneers of this new digital revolution can be us students. Our generation (fortunately or unfortunately) was born and is growing in close contact with the most varied forms of innovation and technologies. This naturally leads us to have an incredible know-how that we could put to good use in a consolidated ecosystem.
In support of what I have just said, I agree with @gabriellalocati. We do not necessarily need specific knowledge in technology, technology is now inherent in us.

In your opinion, are Italian students able to compete with the high expectations and standards of international markets today?

Good night!
Marco

[Marco]

#11900

Good evening everyone!

I wanted to pick up some points on today’s conference which for me was truly enlightened. I wanted to write down Gianpiero Lotito’s answer to my question.

The question was the following: “what are the advantages and critical issues of being an international startup in Italy?”

Good question! What are the benefits? Meanwhile, we gave an example. When we started saying we don’t leave they looked at us like crazy. Today it is very difficult for a startup born with the ambition to go to the Silicon Valley. We gave an example which was then followed over time. But we also could have found the capital also in Italy, finding 50 million euros that all came from Italian private investors. The advantage of being in Italy is that of having a prestige that we often do not recognize ourselves. A 6-month-old survey, published in the United States, on which country had the greatest cultural influence in the world put Italy first. If we do not know how to propose ourselves in the right way, we will not be recognized for having talent, imagination, taste. So, in a technological world where beauty and simplicity become important factors, being a startup in Italy can give you many advantages. In addition, there is the big bet made since 2014, when completely against the tide we took a full-time lobbyist in Brussels. This allowed us to obstruct an extraordinary contact with the European Commission where we are considered among the most important and supportive European companies. […] You must find a balance, and you can find it in growing large companies starting from small European cities, as it was for Booking and Spotify.

Critical points? Happiness for others’ success is the foundation of any ecosystem. Until we can understand that the success of another one day will give our benefit, we will never be a winning ecosystem. In Italy this exists. […] The solidarity that is manifesting in this epidemic may help, but I think we have all the skills to become the first industrial country in Europe. […] I will never regret having made that choice, of having built a wonderful adventure, of having made many students grow up. Had we gone to Silicon Valley I would be richer but never was a happier choice.

 

I’d like to hang on to the question asked by @gabriellalocati (it was yours, as I recall) that said this: “Staying in Italy, and in Pavia, you are creating a “Small Valley”. How can Pavia become a European development model?”

I went to read some articles and found a few words from Lotito that deserves to be mentioned:

“[…] we conceived the “Small Valley” Idea. Which tells that the sustainable digital ecosystem of Europe can grow around historical universities and prestigious research centres. Because the successful industrial “Small Valleys” as Leuven, Cambridge and Lausanne grew in this way. The digital environment allows to develop the ecosystem in a shorter time period, in 10 or 15 years, and so it can give back to Europe a sustainable model for digital ecosystems which can be developed in a reasonably short time and make Europe competitive. […].

 

Have a good evening!

Marco

• This reply was modified 3 years, 6 months ago by Marco.

[Marco]

#11879

Sorry, I forgot to say a few things.
In the first article you will find a better explanation of what I tried to say in the previous post.

In the second, I leave you the link to the MISE site. In my opinion there are a lot of useful information. Take a look

https://www.italianbusinesstips.com/italian-startup-scene/

https://www.mise.gov.it/index.php/en/202-news-english/2033818-italy-a-smart-choice-for-innovative-startups

Bye!

[Marco]

#11878

Hello everyone!

To answer the question raised by @ismaelepaoli I would like to take some steps in the history of the last few years. As I had already said, taxation and slow bureaucracy in Italy have always been a brake for the birth and maintenance of startups. Despite this, our government has moved to encourage the creation of new startups on national soil. In 2012 was introduced the Italian Startup Act to promote innovation and make our country attractive to foreign entrepreneurs. This law aimed to improve all those critical issues that we have already talked about. In an article published in the 2012 by Forbes, Alison Coleman says: “Growth in Europe’s startup scene has been driven by the tech powerhouses of Germany and the UK, with countries like Sweden, Portugal and the Netherlands also gaining ground with their rapidly expanding tech hubs. Away from the main players, however, exciting stuff is happening in Italy […] “.

The forecast was not wrong. In the third report of the Italian venture capital P101 SGR of 2018 it is highlighted how a strong startup ecosystem is important for the economic growth of a country. “Between 2017 and 2018 the growth of innovative startups on national soil it stood at around + 20%, with threefold corporate staff and growing earnings. […] 2018 was characterized by strong growth in investments in Italian startups and scaleups, with 177 companies announcing rounds for 480 million euros, against 52 companies for a total of 144 million in 2017. As regards the market sector, the fintech sector was undoubtedly the one that attracted the most investments, with almost 202 million euros raised by 17 companies. Among the most striking cases, Prima Assicurazioni and Moneyfarm stand out, followed immediately after by Satispay and Credimi. “

In short, the direction of the European countries seems to be the right one and in a few years it could become a small competitor of Silicon Valley. As far as our nation is concerned, I have already spoken about the critical issues. I would just like to add that what further penalizes our ecosystem is the inhomogeneity of capital among the main Italian centers. Even Italy is moving in the right direction, focusing on young people, small businesses and one of the most interesting and growing sectors today, fintechs.

Have a nice week!

 

https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisoncoleman/2016/02/27/after-a-slow-burn-italys-tech-startups-turn-up-the-heat/#6400c5523fcc

https://www.p101.it/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/P101-report-venture-capital-2018.pdf

[Marco]

#11856

Hi guys!
I’d like to share an interesting article with you. Let me know what you think about.

https://www.corriere.it/economia/consumi/20_marzo_27/coronavirus-negozi-vacanze-cose-che-forse-non-torneranno-piu-come-prima-1914a4a4-6ad3-11ea-b40a-2e7c2eee59c6.shtml

[Marco]

#11854

Goodmorning everyone!

First, I would like to thank Paola Bonomo and Isabella Falautano for sharing their experience with us.

Honestly, I had already heard of Italian Angels for Growth. I have always been fascinated by the world of startups both in Italy and in the world.

Today I would like to share with you a thought that has as its core why in Italy we have a different perception of Startups than in other countries and I fully agree with @botten and @giorgiaamatemaggio. In Italy there is always a lot of confusion in the Startup sector and very often these are confused with small and medium-sized companies. I personally believe the core of the problem can be identified based on three critical factors: growth, networking experiences and taxation. For many years I have been traveling to London for study and I think I can take it into consideration to highlight the critical issues I was talking about. In the last few years London has become one of the world capitals of technology, innovation in parallel of FinTechs. There are experiences of many Italians who decide to open their own Startup in the United Kingdom. One of the reasons why many of our fellow citizens choose to move to the UK is certainly the possibility of personal growth, collaboration, networking and finally, the language. The second advantage that Britain offers is certainly tax savings. Opening an LTD in London is more convenient than opening an SRL in Italy, both for the many possibilities of the benefits and in terms of leaner bureaucracy. I personally believe that these characteristics can give a significant acceleration in terms of business scalability.

What do you think are the critical factors that most influence the creation and maintenance of a Startup in Italy?

 

In the link that I leave you (I know, it is not very updated but it is the only one I found), at the bottom of the page you can get a summary idea of ​​what I talked about.

http://www.taxlawplanet.it/ltd-vs-srl-confronto-tra-ltd-inglese-e-srl-italiana/

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