The triangle formed by university system, productive world and government authorities, through various forms of involvement of the parties, determines the enhancement of knowledge, which is at the base of a country's social, cultural and technological innovation.The cross-fertilization between academic world and the world of industry can also be traced going back to the business history of Adriano Olivetti (1901-1960) who, from his original manufacture of mechanical typewriters, led his company to be at the forefront of the world of electronics and information technology. Adriano Olivetti was not only a courageous and innovative entrepreneur, but also an unconventional intellectual, writer, publisher, politician, urbanist, innovator of social and political sciences. Adriano Olivetti was an extraordinary person, starting from the conception of his factory, which he meant as a social, moral and continuous learning community and not as a set of contracts, oriented to a project of complete renewal of the vision/mission of the company, of the market, even of the relation between company and University. Adriano Olivetti’s success was stored in continuous research and technological development also in collaboration with University and other Research Centres, unstopping product innovation, great commercial rush, internationalization, binomial art/industry, social responsibility, binomial culture/industry. In Adriano Olivetti’s company were present some of the factors which can foster University-industry symbiosis (institutional, geographic, organizational, social, urban proximities, together with inventors’ individual characteristics and reputation, without forgetting the influence of social and moral norms and the contribution of all the institutions of “scientific brokerage”), but government role was absent in his company’s story. Today a more systemic and interactive approach among University-industry-State is needed and practised (Triple Helix approach). The paper, after Olivetti’s company case-history study explanation, analyzes the factors facilitating or hindering University-industry collaborations and examines University-company cooperation in Italy in its consistency, trend, forms, critical aspects which should be overcome by adequate policies.
Adriano Olivetti: an Italian Story of successful university-industry symbiosis
Montesi C
Writing – Original Draft Preparation
2018
Abstract
The triangle formed by university system, productive world and government authorities, through various forms of involvement of the parties, determines the enhancement of knowledge, which is at the base of a country's social, cultural and technological innovation.The cross-fertilization between academic world and the world of industry can also be traced going back to the business history of Adriano Olivetti (1901-1960) who, from his original manufacture of mechanical typewriters, led his company to be at the forefront of the world of electronics and information technology. Adriano Olivetti was not only a courageous and innovative entrepreneur, but also an unconventional intellectual, writer, publisher, politician, urbanist, innovator of social and political sciences. Adriano Olivetti was an extraordinary person, starting from the conception of his factory, which he meant as a social, moral and continuous learning community and not as a set of contracts, oriented to a project of complete renewal of the vision/mission of the company, of the market, even of the relation between company and University. Adriano Olivetti’s success was stored in continuous research and technological development also in collaboration with University and other Research Centres, unstopping product innovation, great commercial rush, internationalization, binomial art/industry, social responsibility, binomial culture/industry. In Adriano Olivetti’s company were present some of the factors which can foster University-industry symbiosis (institutional, geographic, organizational, social, urban proximities, together with inventors’ individual characteristics and reputation, without forgetting the influence of social and moral norms and the contribution of all the institutions of “scientific brokerage”), but government role was absent in his company’s story. Today a more systemic and interactive approach among University-industry-State is needed and practised (Triple Helix approach). The paper, after Olivetti’s company case-history study explanation, analyzes the factors facilitating or hindering University-industry collaborations and examines University-company cooperation in Italy in its consistency, trend, forms, critical aspects which should be overcome by adequate policies.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
