Sustainability

Let’s help Emilia-Romagna together

Mondadori Media and Banca Mediolanum together for Emilia-Romagna

The torrent of water and mud that recently struck Emilia-Romagna, a region that calls to mind laughter and friendship, drives us to help the people who have lost everything, the businesses that will have to leave after this tragedy, and the region itself.

This is why Mondadori Media and Banca Mediolanum have launched the fundraising initiative “Let’s Help Emilia Romagna TOGETHER”, involving readers, followers, customers and friends.

The dedicated current account is:
IBAN IT54O0306234210000002727272
To “BANCA MEDIOLANUM”
Reason: “INSIEME AIUTIAMO L’EMILIA ROMAGNA” [LET’S HELP EMILIA-ROMAGNA TOGETHER]

Together, thanks to everyone’s generosity, we can help Emilia-Romagna to recover, donating every Euro to the official Emilia-Romagna Region fundraiser, to support people and communities affected by recent disasters such as floods and landslides.

Interni presents the exhibition event “Design Re-Evolution”: design as evolution, revolution, fusion and sustainability

From April 17 to 26, over 40 installations across six locations in the heart of the city: the University of Milan, the Eni Space at the Brera Botanical Garden, the Audi House of Progress at Portrait Milano, Eataly Milano Smeraldo, De Castillia 23 by Urban Up | Unipol and the Torre Velasca.

The magazine engaged over 40 architects, designers and artists in collaboration with prestigious businesses, start-ups and institutions

Over 40 creative projects by a line-up of more than 40 designers from Italy and around the world across 6 iconic locations in Milan, which will play host to 9 days of events, meetings, and talks with leading figures in design culture and much more. These are the numbers that matter for INTERNI Design Re-Evolution, the eagerly awaited exhibition-event created by INTERNI, the Mondadori Group interiors and contemporary design magazine, and curated by Gilda Bojardi. The events take place from 17 to 26 April in the courtyards of the University of Milan, the Eni Space at the Brera Botanical Garden, and at Portrait Milano, home of the Audi House of Progress.

This year, INTERNI, a long-time champion of new spaces for creativity, is adding Eataly Milano Smeraldo, De Castillia 23 by Urban Up | Unipol and the Torre Velasca to the three “institutional” locations.

In collaboration with the City of Milan, INTERNI Design Re-Evolution is one of the main initiatives of Milan Design Week and FuoriSalone 2023, created in 1990 by the magazine’s editor-in-chief, Gilda Bojardi, and universally recognised as the leading event for international design and architecture.

INTERNI Design Re-Evolution aims to offer a collective and multidisciplinary reflection on the role of evolutionary thinking as a design tool for new territories, both known and unknown, physical and digital, present and future.

“The Design Re-Evolution is a revolution, because it aims to redevelop the land, the objects that inhabit it, the materials with which they are made, and the energy used to create them”, explains Gilda Bojardi, editor-in-chief of INTERNI. “But it is also evolution, because it develops through a synergy between various disciplines – such as science, art and set design – fostering positive exchanges between individuals, businesses, institutions, and, of course, the citizens. And it is a process, in that it is a way of conceiving, producing and sharing ideas in order to reach a new configuration of the spaces in our lives. The Design Re-Evolution therefore approaches the home in the sense of a ‘mirror for the soul’, in the words of Mario Praz, encouraging the circulation of information and contacts on possible circular economy solutions. The exhibition event thus helps to build new landscapes to promote new interaction between people and environment, in a profound dialectical relationship with nature”.

But INTERNI Design Re-Evolution also explores territories that are still beyond our knowledge, from the Metaverse to the farthest universe. Because it is in this realm of creativity, where we may well feel out of our comfort zone, that the empathy inherent to design becomes a tool which strengthens imaginative power and the ability to interpret human emotion. Combined with solid professionalism and design ethics, these qualities allow us to understand, conceptualise and experience the evolution of our planet.

Interni presenta la mostra-evento “Design Re-Evolution”

The three co-producers of the exhibition eventi: Audi, Eni and Whirlpool

The main sponsors of INTERNI Design Re-Evolution are three premium brands active in the field of sustainability: Audi, a leading car manufacturer with a comprehensive commitment to providing sustainable mobility, has innovation and progress in its DNA; Eni, an integrated energy company, launched a new strategy in 2020 which will allow it to reach its goal of zero net emissions by 2050 and to supply a range of totally decarbonised products, combining environmental and financial sustainability and focusing on technological leadership built over years of research and innovation; Whirlpool is a global leader in domestic appliances, thanks to its solutions with cutting-edge design created to improve the quality of domestic life. Each co-producer is presenting a high-impact installation with their own interpretation of the theme of the exhibition event.

At Portrait Milano, Corso Venezia 11 _ Audi House of Progress

Human values are central to The Domino Act, an installation representing Audi‘s vision of sustainable mobility. A circular structure of 22 monoliths encloses and protects the Audi skysphere concept car, their multiplying reflections acting as a reminder of the importance of working together. Located in the magnificent Piazza del Quadrilatero of Portrait Milano, Milan’s exclusive new hotel complex occupying the spaces of the former Seminary of the Archbishop in Corso Venezia, it was designed for Audi by Gabriele Chiave with Controvento. It brings an artistic sensibility to the principle of the Sustainability Domino Act, highlighting how decisive action in a strategic area can trigger a virtuous knock-on effect. The key presence of the Audi skysphere concept, demonstrating the perfect blend of emotion and technology with people at its centre, recognises research and progress as defining factors in the Brand’s strategy and its roadmap to decarbonisation.

At the Brera Botanical Garden – Eni Space

The Brera Botanical Garden is transformed into Eni Space, hosting Walk the talk – Energy in motion, a large interactive game. With one of Milan’s most beautiful gardens as its backdrop, the design tackles the FuoriSalone “Future Lab” theme through an intriguing giant game board all about the evolution of mobility, representing the activities and vision of Eni Sustainable Mobility. Developed by Italo Rota and CRA – Carlo Ratti Associati together with the Blob Factory Gaming Studio game designer collective, Walk the talk – Energy in motion explores themes such as the shift to more sustainable transport solutions, vehicle sharing services, and producing fuel from renewable raw materials. In so doing, it invites the public of FuoriSalone and INTERNI Design Re-Evolution to reflect on the future of our city. Each player chooses a path to follow through the installation, offering an interactive way to discover everyday actions and practical solutions for increasingly sustainable mobility. Entrances and exits punctuate the trail, which runs along the leafy pathways of the Botanical Garden, over an area of 3500 square metres with roughly 400 illustrated boxes. The boxes absorb sunlight during the day and convert it to light in the evening, creating lighting effects that change with the time of day.

At the University of Milan, Whirlpool with “The Synesthetic Swirl”

Light, colour, reflections and visual distortions abound with The Synesthetic Swirl, the spiral display in the Cortile d’Onore at the University of Milan, designed by Odile Decq for Whirlpool, the exhibition’s co-producer. Reproducing the geometry of a vortex and inspired by the archetypal image of the spiral, The Synesthetic Swirl prompts a journey and invites us to explore our sixth sense: intuition. Inside its fully immersive and engaging interior, whose exterior is just as appealing and intriguing, the installation offers the possibility of a ‘before’ or an ‘after’. The reflective effect of the mirrors creates a synesthetic vortex which can represent the dualities of an opening or an awakening, an oscillation, a step forward or backward.

Interni presenta la mostra-evento “Design Re-Evolution”

Installations and designers: the key figures of Interni Design Re-Evolution

The great INTERNI exhibition event was created with the aim of initiating and multiplying connections and relationships: a virtuous system between creatives, businesses, distribution networks who have the fundamental need to connect people and ideas from different cultures and backgrounds. In collaboration with businesses, multinationals, start-ups and institutions, there are more than 40 designers who have made over 40 creative projects (installations, displays, design islands, micro-architecture and macro-objects, all site-specific) to explore the theme of this year’s exhibition.

The spaces of the University of Milan provide the setting for a series of impressive installations.

In the Cortile della Farmacia, Amazon presents The Amazing Playground: an interactive immersive space featuring Swing, an installation designed by Stefano Boeri Interiors. It takes the form of a special swing inspired by early twentieth-century Spanish Surrealism and the Circo Americano in Madrid, and offers a playful counterpoint to the abstract rhetoric around sustainability. Swing supports Parco Italia, a national urban forestation project promoted with Amazon Italia by Stefano Boeri Architetti and AlberItalia, founded to improve and implement Italy’s natural capital and its biodiversity. In addition to interacting with the installation, the public can also discover a selection of certified Climate Pledge Friendly products available on Amazon.it and displayed around the courtyard.

In the Cortile del ‘700, The Impossible Machine, a metal sculpture designed by Piero Lissoni for Sanlorenzo, combines high technology with skilled workmanship, giving physical form to the theme of sustainable yachting. It presents a large mechanism whose parts move thanks to the new hydrogen system that Sanlorenzo is developing to power its craft, in partnership with Siemens Energy. The backlit platform on which the metal installation rests highlights the mechanism’s propellers and cogs, while the fine vapour surrounding it reproduces the effect of a turbine powered by a fuel cell system.

A number of different projects have been created in the Cortile d’Onore. These include A Theatre to Save the Planet, an itinerant theatre created by Andrea Boschetti in collaboration with Ana Lazovic from Metrogramma studio with Mirage designed to promote the values of sustainability, solidarity and responsible innovation. It consists of containers recovered from the ocean, which become a place of meditation and participation, hosting events each day dedicated to the theme of sustainability (partners of the Save the Planet project).

A modern Cabinet of Curiosities, by Annabel Karim Kassar, is an interactive installation which invites the visitor to reimagine their place in the natural order and to go beyond mere viewing, exploring how architecture can change our emotional balance and the intimate human experience.

The Oasis. Microarchitecture by Massimo Iosa Ghini, enveloping and protective, demonstrates an approach to design inspired by plant organisms, resulting in a space with a beating heart which places man and nature in dialogue through natural light and materials, the movement of the air, and sensory perception.

Berlin studio Topotek 1 – in collaboration with the Landscape Festival of Bergamo – Masters of Landscape – with Grow together, Grow green / 10k+ has designed an experience to be lived and shared, a collective action divided into three concepts: deconstruction, activation and green growth. The structure, which can be dismantled and reused, acts as a pick-up point for a collection of plants that visitors are invited to take home and look after. The Nutura pavilion, by Benedetta Tagliabue – EMBT Architects, built in collaboration with Roca, is made from wood and ceramic and offers a multisensory exploration of nature and Mediterranean architecture, with lattices and shutters creating shadow effects, material textures, and changing views. The pathway leads to a plaza in which to relax and enjoy the view of the Cortile: in keeping with the Re-Evolution theme and the value of sustainability, all the materials used will be disassembled, recovered and used for other projects.

The Loggiato Est hosts Discover(y) lightning by Mario Cucinella with Artemide: a bright and heartfelt tribute to Ernesto Gismondi, founder of Artemide, achieved through a series of pendant lights which cloak the Cortile del Filarete in red, shaping its spaces and framing details. The work enhances the quality of the spaces through the use of Integralis, a patented lighting technology which sanitises and inhibits the growth of bacteria on the surfaces it lights.

Also in the Cortile d’Onore, English artist Ian Berry presents The greatest story ever worn, a tribute to 150 years of the iconic Levi’s 501s; Stone Pavilion by Brazilian architect Vivian Coser showcases the country’s stone production with a focus on eco-friendly processes and materials, in collaboration with It’s Natural, Centrorochas, ApexBrasil.

Fidenza Village presents  MOAI sculptures by street artist duo Urbansolid, offering a reflection on modern times by reinterpreting ancestral history through the contemporary language of street art. Operae by Gianni Lucchesi for Giannoni&Santoni and the Hangar gallery is a stone sculpture of a life-sized seated figure overlooking the Cortile d’Onore from the top of a 13-metre totem made up of modular cubes in lightweight concrete.

Symbolising the perfection of architecture, standing on the central lawn is an enormous cube in reflective strips – Momentumby Ma Yansong and Andrea d’Antrassi/ MAD Architects produced in collaboration with AXA IM Alts.

Lastly, two totems, one created from layers of construction materials and the other formed from a slim metal frame – Tangibile & Intangibile  – presented by One Works with  Mapei and Ica, aims to find a balance between architectural know-how, through the reuse of materials, and the discovery of new languages to express design, such as virtual reality and the Metaverse.

Temporal, the presentation organised by ApexBrasil, is two-fold: a spherical, cocoon-like installation 6 metres in diameter covered in real moss, in the Cortile d’Onore; and an exhibition of products curated by Bruno Simões, displayed along the Portico Richini and Portico San Nazaro. It represents the vitality of contemporary Brazilian design in its various forms, regions and characteristics, and reflects on production driven by sustainability and a focus on the environment and nature.

As a long-standing advocate for his ideas on architecture and design, in the Cortile dei Bagni Simone Micheli presents Free.Dom, a metaphor for time and the approaches we can take to life. Through companies, who are exploring new interpretive possibilities thanks to his work, Micheli created three large structures representing “cages” in a large mesh. Two of these house a stylised bird, while the third is empty. Next to it is the bird which has flown out. The meaning is that only those who truly wish and choose to free themselves from stereotyped patterns, from system crises, from content stalemate, from clichés and conservatism, can do so.

There are also numerous installations in the portico of the Cortile d’Onore: Seating Experiments With Spanish Tiles by Tomás Alonso Studio for Tile of Spain, Metamorphosys  by Roberto Banfi with Studeo group for Itelyum, and Farfalle by Ludovica Diligu with Labo.Art, as well as Flow by Francesco Forcellini with Besenzoni, Studio Nomade d’Artista by Sergio Fiorentino – Studio Gum, New Horizons by Mandalaki for Halo Edition, Sit on the wor(l)d by Marco Nereo Rotelli for Ever In Art and Giardino Segreto, which is the exhibition of the results of the 4th edition of the contest “Design. A journey through Italy and Spain”, curated by Carmelo Zappulla of External Reference for the Italian Embassy in Madrid.

In the Aula Magna great hall, Time After Time by Gianluigi Colin with Galleria De Ambrogi  presents an installation consisting of hundreds of metres of fabric used to clean newspaper printing presses; authentic objets trouvés, secular shrouds, loaded with the memory of endless erased stories, hanging eleven metres high. This work prompts us to question the quality of the information system, collective memory and its dissolution. A secular temple of knowledge, the University is the natural home for a project such as this because, as Aldo Colonetti says, “like architecture, design must never forget that art is the foundation of every design-related discipline”.

Material textures are the focus of Acrylic Skyline by Jacopo Foggini with Dr. Gallina, a polychrome skyline as a “tribute to Alessandro Mendini” on display along the Loggiato Ovest. The visitor is guided by the light filtering through the multiwall polycarbonate sheets in a rainbow of colours, chosen to offer an impression of fluidity. Foggini invites us to reflect on the materials of the future and prompts positive thinking on the “eternal” nature of plastic.

With L’arte del colore by Francesca Grassi of Studio Italo Rota with Boero, the Portale Hall Aula Magna becomes a modern interpretation of the rainbow, achieved using the colours of the new Boero colour system, 1831 – Il colore italiano.

The North and South doorways of the University host the installation Re-Connection: Alberto Caliri, creative director of Missoni Home Collection, offers a series of small rabbits designed to prompt our memories and reconnect us with emotions and imagination.

CaberlonCaroppi studio with Pedrali, Zambaiti Parati for Concreta explore the theme of Design Re-Evolution with Liminal, by furnishing the exhibition’s press room with unique furniture customised for the occasion, while Urban Stage by Parisotto + Formenton Architetti with Cimento offers a concrete look for outdoor relaxing with an urban feel with Outdoor Lounges.

Worth noting is that many of the installations in the exhibition were created with the idea of being reused, whether fully (such as the Amazon swing, linked to biodiversity, or the containers of Mirage, with Save the Planet), or partially, to create new settings and objects. INTERNI participates in the Urban Economy, Fashion and Design Project by the City of Milan, which transforms the exhibits of Milan Design Week into a concrete possibility of regeneration and reuse, in line with the principles of the circular economy.

Interni presenta la mostra-evento “Design Re-Evolution”

New sites

The traditional institutional sites of INTERNI Design Re-Evolution are joined this year by other iconic locations in the city: Eataly Milano Smeraldo, De Castillia 23 by Urban Up | Unipol and the Torre Velasca.

At Eataly Milano Smeraldo, Paola Navone Otto Studio are celebrating Italian identity with 100% Pasta: a thorough examination of the quality of good food, from harvest and preparation to tasting. Tomatoes, pots and pans, garlic, chillies and spaghetti all made by the Viareggio Carnival Foundation hang from the ceiling in an aerial installation at Eataly Smeraldo, over the stage at the centre of the store. The stage has been decorated for the occasion in tomato red, and furnished with modern chairs and tables in red, white and green, referencing the ingredients of the quintessential Italian dish, pasta with tomato sauce. And not just any recipe, but the dish Paola Navone’s grandmother used to make for her, selecting the ingredients with care and love. The “100% Pasta” installation will be presented to the public on Thursday April 20, at 6pm, on the stage at Eataly Smeraldo, with a food performance which will see Paola Navone talk about her installation and the link between food and design, sharing the story of her “Pasta Paola”, alongside an Eataly chef who will make it for those present.

The message conveyed in the Isola district consists of just two simple yet alarming words: H2o HELP. On the lawn in front of De Castillia 23, a building redeveloped by Urban Up – Unipol and owned by the Group, an installation by Maria Cristina Finucci greets visitors with a sort of living being, 70 metres long and formed of a series of “water cushions”. Those sitting on it may not immediately realise that just a few steps away, this living being is gasping for air, showing everyone its struggle to survive. Through its agony, it attempts to communicate humanity’s distress in light of one of the most serious issues it is facing: a lack of water.

Once again, 66 years after it was built, with QR Code: Quick Re-Evolution Code, the Torre Velasca is the mouthpiece for a Re-Evolution, acting as the gateway to a virtual world offering new levels of perception to augment reality. Hines entrusted the project to the creative flair and talent of designer Elena Salmistraro. The project is an innovative digital experience which introduces an extraordinary foray into new ways of experiencing places, freeing their revolutionary communicative potential. As the name suggests, a QR code is key to the installation. Visitors use it to access a specially designed digital space, dedicated to discovering this iconic Milanese building. The QR Code will be available in the FuoriSalone Guide, on the INTERNI channels, on the website www.torrevelascaqrcode.com, as well as on 80 floor stickers positioned strategically around the city.

Interni presenta la mostra-evento “Design Re-Evolution”

The Interni system

The INTERNI integrated system of communication multiplies and reiterates its role as a key source of information for the world of design. Two printed publications (INTERNI and the FuoriSalone Guide), two digital publications (INTERNI King Size and the legendary FuoriSalone Guide), one major event (INTERNI Design Re-Evolution), INTERNI online (website and social media) and Interni Design Journal – with insights and videos which will be delivered through a newsletter system – provide all the tools for keeping up to date in real time on all the latest design trends, news and previews.

Now in its 33rd edition, the FuoriSalone Guide is the essential handbook for anyone who wants to discover and explore the increasingly packed calendar of Milan Design Week, through the annotated presentation of 350 events involving the companies, designers and architects participating in FuoriSalone, organised both day by day and in alphabetical order. The guide, which is available free with the April issue of INTERNI in Milan, and in all the showrooms, institutions, museums and other locations participating in FuoriSalone 2023 (as well as at the fair itself), can be accessed online (both on tablet and smartphone), and includes an interactive map.

The strength of the brand is also clearly visible throughout the city: Design Re-Evolution involves a major street advertising campaign which includes 15 banners displayed at the main entrances to Milan and in the historic centre, 1000 flags at the locations of the events mentioned in the FuoriSalone Guide, as well as 60 digital points in the busiest areas, 10 retro shuttle buses, customised news stands in the historic centre and in airports, window displays and LED walls(Mondadori Duomo bookshop in Piazza del Duomo and Rizzoli Galleria in Galleria Vittorio Emanuele).

For all information www.internimagazine.it

Rizzoli Education launches the “Glow Up” empowerment campaign

An initiative promoting gender equality and inclusiveness in the school textbook publisher’s sales force

Rizzoli Education reinforces its commitment to gender equality and inclusiveness with the launch of the Glow UP empowerment campaign for its sales network.

The initiative has two key goals. The first is to continue interpreting and concretely implementing the Manifesto for gender equality and plurality launched in 2021, promoting the values of multiculturalism and the coexistence of different generations; principles the publishing house has always supported, inspiring not only its editorial and educational offering but its work environment.

The second main goal is boosting self-confidence among the people forming the Rizzoli Education team: highly qualified professionals with certified know-how whose work provides teachers with top-level assistance every day.

With Glow Up, the Mondadori Group publishing house wants to “add glow” to the value of the people in its sales network and establish the conditions for casting light on these people’s “unique”, specific talent, boosting their sense of belonging and fidelity.

In addition, the company wishes to develop an increasingly inclusive workplace where everyone can express their own qualities in the best possible way, creating a system capable of attracting the new generations, who are increasingly sensitive to these issues.

Rizzoli Education’s empowerment campaign will begin with a series of events focusing on women, promoting the affirmation of an increasingly feminine and inclusive leadership style in its sales network. The pillars of this process, which will be the focus of a series of webinars, meetings and events, are three keywords:  education, to generate awareness of one’s own value, flexibility, to support women making important life choices, and confidence for development of personal skills.

The first event – intended for women in the publishing house’s sales network – featured Francesca Rigolio, Chief Diversity Officer and Head of Human Resources in Trade Education Books for the Mondadori Group, with Alessandra Andriani, partner and general manager of the consulting firm MCA, and Annalisa Aceti, Rizzoli Education Sales Manager. The themes discussed at this inspirational meeting included career, power, language and stereotypes that can represent obstacles for gender equality.

Rizzoli Education‘s Glow Up campaign will continue throughout the year 2023 with monthly initiatives for the entire sales network to boost self-confidence and the ability of members of the publisher’s sales staff to respond to the new challenges of the market.

Rizzoli Education lancia la campagna di emporwement "Glow Up"

Deascuola and the Bracco Foundation, together with #100esperte, present the 1st edition of the free training programme “Le 100 esperte STEM vanno a scuola”

The webinar cycle was studied for primary and lower and upper secondary school teachers and students.

Through this project, D Scuola, the Bracco Foundation and #100esperte provide their educational and counselling know-how to raise awareness on gender equality and career opportunities for women according to the STEM framework.

D Scuola, one of the leading Italian scholastic publishers with the Deascuola editorial line, and the Bracco Foundation present the first edition of “Le 100 esperte STEM vanno a scuola.”

The new training programme was studied to introduce the perspectives and opportunities of the technical and scientific disciplines to students and teachers with a specific outlook on gender equality and guidance, in line with the most recent ministerial guidelines on developing, as a national educational priority, the STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) in schools.

As also demonstrated by the recent data provided by She Figures and Almalaurea, obstacles and stereotypes still currently exist and influence students’ educational path, especially for girls. This at a time during which businesses and institutions are increasingly searching for technical-scientific figures, as the same are necessary for better being able to address future transitions and challenges.

“The Bracco Foundation has always regarded women’s empowerment and gender equality as priorities,” states Diana Bracco, President of this important reality, which was founded in 2010 as a result of the values acquired and matured by the Bracco Family and Group in their over 95 years of history. “Among the many initiatives we support, 100donne contro gli stereotipi has thus become particularly relevant. The project is very complex and also aims at involving schools by involving female role models.
With D Scuola, we now promote a webinar cycle to put scientists and experts in contact with teachers and students nationwide. I’m certain that the professional and private stories of these amazing women of science will serve as a source of inspiration for many girls.”

Le 100 esperte STEM vanno a scuola, developed together with the Bracco Foundation, aims to emphasise both the importance of science in education and the opportunities offered within the STEM context, in particular for the younger generations of women.

We believe this initiative can provide concrete guidance tips to teachers and students, thanks to the direct stories, experiences and testimonials of prominent experts, and become a precious source of inspiration used to better prepare even the youngest to face tomorrow’s challenges. We are very proud of this project, which will become part of the “Educating for the Future” programme, a broader path D Scuola is undertaking with the aim of developing topics such as inclusion, gender equality, sustainability and civic and digital education,” stated Gian Luca Pulvirenti, President of D Scuola.

The initiative, which is due to start on January 26, includes four free afternoon meetings for teachers, one for each of the letters composing the acronym STEM, and two morning meetings dedicated to students.

Each appointment will be held by the female scientists selected from the “100donne contro gli stereotipi ” portal. The project was founded as a result of the partnership with the Observatory of Pavia and Giulia Giornaliste and developed with the Bracco Foundation to give space and visibility to female experts specialised in different fields, thus highlighting the role of professionals adapted to become points of reference for the current generations and media.

During the meetings, the experts will both share their educational background, current projects, difficulties, decisions, mistakes, successes and professional advantages and provide useful tools and tips that can be used in the classroom to guide the decisions of students.

 

MEETING CALENDAR

S OF SCIENCE

The first of the four webinars of “Le 100 esperte STEM vanno a scuola” for teachers will be held on January 26, from 17:00 to 18:30, a few days following International Education Day. The session aims to provide insight on topics more closely linked to medical sciences, such as medical statistics and neurolinguistics. Among the participants, Sara Gandini, Head of the “Molecular and Pharmaco-Epidemiology” ward of IEO’s Experimental Oncology Department; Valentina Bambini, Full Professor of Linguistics at the IUSS of Pavia; Luisa Torsi, Full Professor of Chemistry at the University of Bari and at the Albo Academy University of Finland.

T OF TECHNOLOGY

The second meeting will be held on February 7, from 17:00 to 18:30, before International Day of Women and Girls in Science (February 11). The same will be dedicated to topics such as robotics for neuroscience and international cooperation in the aerospace context. Among the participants, Monica Gori, Head of a research group at the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT) and Simonetta Di Pippo, Professor of Space Economics and Director of the Space Economy Evolution Lab (SEE Lab) at the Bocconi University School of Management of Milan.

E OF ENGINEERING

The third appointment is scheduled on March 13, from 17:00 to 18:30, and will focus on the E of Engineering, by covering topics such as management and aerospace engineering. Among the participants, Bianca Maria Colosimo, Full Professor of Processing Technologies and Systems at the Polytechnic Institute of Milan, and Elisabetta Lamboglia, Aerospace Engineer at the European Space Agency (ESA).  

M OF MATHEMATICS

The last meeting with teachers – M of Mathematics – will be held on Thursday, April 20, from 17:00 to 18:30 – Maria Grazia Speranza, Full Professor of Operations Research at the University of Brescia, will discuss with young mathematicians of different fields, covering the various steps involved from research to corporate application.

The recordings of the webinars will be available at the end of each meeting on both D Scuola and the Bracco Foundation’s websites.

The first meeting with the primary and lower and upper secondary school students is scheduled on February 28, from 11:00 for 12:00, and will focus on Science and Technology. Among the participants, Paola Santini, Researcher at the INAF Astronomical Observatory of Rome, and Giulia Grancini, Associate Professor of Physical Chemistry and at the Department of Chemistry of the University of Pavia.
The second appointmentEngineering and Mathematics – will be held on April 28, from 11:00 to 12:00 and is an opportunity to meet and interact with Lucia Cattani, Researcher and Professor of Civil Engineering at the University of Pavia, and Isabella Nova, Full Professor of Industrial Chemistry and Technology at the Polytechnic University of Milan.
Both meetings will be moderated by the climatological physicist Serena Giacomin.

Click here for the complete programme of “ Le 100 esperte STEM vanno a scuola:”https://l.deascuola.it/100esperte/index.html

 

[1] Deascuola is an editorial brand of D Scuola.

______________________________

For information: 

Media Relations Gruppo Mondadori
pressoffice@mondadori.it

Ufficio Stampa Fondazione Bracco
Carolina Elefante
carolina.elefante@bracco.com
333.4263484, 02.21772279
www.100esperte.it

Anna Spinelli winner at the 2022 Nudge Global Impact Awards

Il Battello a Vapore editor Anna Spinelli represented the Mondadori Group at the latest Nudge Global Impact Challenge, winning with an original editorial project

Thanks to an editorial initiative against food waste, our editor Anna Spinelli has won the 2022 Nudge Global Impact Award. During the gala evening at the Peace Palace in The Hague, in the Netherlands, an international jury listened to the presentations of the six finalist projects at the latest Nudge Global Impact Challenge and decided to give the award to Anna’s work.

The theme of the 2021/2022 edition was Balancing our planet: a clear appeal to the need to respond to the negative events affecting our planet, in primis climate change and the pandemic.

 

From this starting point, Anna Spinelli developed a manual to educate children aged 6 to 10 about waste in the kitchen, in collaboration with Too Good To Go, the leading app in the fight against food waste.
Besides describing how much food is thrown away around the world and the serious environmental and social effects this has, the book offers much useful advice on ways to achieve a significant reduction in kitchen waste. Recipes include a contribution from Michelin-starred chef Carlo Cracco.

The project has already been put into practice: “Il manuale antispreco di Too Good To Go”, published by Il Battello a Vapore, has been available in bookstores and online since 31 May.

Anna’s high-quality publishing initiative is also a perfect match with one of the pillars of our sustainability plan which, with regard to the environment, aims to help promote a culture that protects the planet and its eco-systems.

The Nudge Global Impact Challenge is an international personal development program for young professionals, whose purpose is to support the growth of future leaders in environmental, social and economic sustainability who will have a positive impact on the world. The initiative is organised by Nudge, a Dutch organisation that brings young talents, companies and no-profit bodies together to promote sustainability across the board.

Through the Challenge, which began in 2010, every year approximately 90 young professionals from all over the world are given the chance to meet, follow training programs and discuss leadership and sustainable development, and then go on to create and implement their own impact plan. The best plans are recognised with the Nudge Global Impact Awards and receive funding to support their implementation.

The Mondadori Group has been a member of the network of Nudge partner companies for five years. Every year, it selects its own potential sustainability leaders for the Nudge Global Impact Challenge. The initiative is one of a range of activities to foster the development of young talents, as well as Diversity & Inclusion and sustainability. Anna Spinelli is the second nudger from the Mondadori Group to win the Nudge Global Impact Award after Marta Mazza, editor of Mondadori children’s books, who won four years ago with her book “Guerrieri di sogni”.

This year’s winners besides Anna were Sanne Kruid, Peter Akkerman, Sofia Kavlin and Timothy Wabukoti.

The Mondadori Group unveils its first Sustainability Plan

3 focus areas, 8 strategic guidelines with targets and actions in the short and medium term

Focus in 2022 on: Diversity & Inclusion, LTI goals on ESG issues, fulfilment of ≈100% of PEFC/FSC certified paper

The Mondadori Group has released its first Sustainability Plan – part of the 2021 Consolidated Non-Financial Statement – approved by the Board of Directors and endorsed by the Control, Risk and Sustainability Committee.

The document – a summary of which is available in the Sustainability section at www.mondadorigroup.com– identifies strategic areas, qualitative and quantitative targets, and actions in the short and medium term for the ongoing improvement of performance in the social, governance and environmental areas, consistent with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) outlined in the 2030 Agenda of the United Nations.

In its first edition, the Plan focuses on three main areas of action:

1) enhancing people, content and places for education and culture;

2) promoting sustainable business success;

3) dissemination of an environmental culture and mitigation of impacts on ecosystems.

There are eight relevant guidelines that reflect the Group’s identity and mission.

 

“The path that has led us to defining our first Sustainability Plan originates in the awareness that our role as a publisher calls for an innate and growing attention and ability to pay heed to the different realities we engage with“, said Antonio Porro, CEO of the Mondadori Group. “The evolution of society and the changes brought by the economic and technological scenario have, in fact, transformed our context of operation and the demands of our main stakeholders, whose needs and prospects are crucial for the very innovation of the company and its sustainable success. We have therefore taken the decision to effectively pursue specific goals in our priority areas, embarking on a journey that will also bring us gradually closer to market expectations on ESG topics. These include the dissemination of an inclusive culture, with actions for the enhancement and growth of our people”, concluded Porro.

 

APPROACH TO SUSTAINABILITY

The Mondadori Group’s first Sustainability Plan is the result of an approach developed over more than ten years of reporting in the field of sustainability, which now unfolds further, building on a project that has a far-reaching and organic vision and intends to add its contribution to achieving eight of the 17 SDGs launched globally by the United Nations.
The document was defined in accordance with the materiality analysis conducted and aimed at identifying the elements of strategic interest to the Group’s activities.
Focus points deriving from relevant key frameworks were highlighted and benchmark analyses were performed, as well as specific assessments of the value chain.
With a view to stakeholder inclusiveness, the development of the Plan was also marked by multiple stakeholder listening moments, including through surveys that actively involved Management, employees, and other relevant stakeholders, such as teachers, readers, bookstore customers and financial analysts.

TARGETS OF THE PLAN

Targets were identified within the Sustainability Plan for generating shared value over the short to medium term in the social, governance and environmental areas.
The pursuit of many of these targets represents a preliminary step in defining additional areas of action which will be outlined, with a view to ongoing improvement, in greater detail in future updates of the Sustainability Plan.

On the Social front in 2022, these include:

  • development and endorsement of a well-structured framework of KPIs for monitoring all D&I-related actions, with specific regard to the gender pay gap and gender balance;
  • redefinition of all Group policies in the area of selection and career development in order to increasingly attract all kinds of talent and promote resources based on a wider range of uniqueness models;
  • launch of the “Parenthood” project to promote more inclusive models for access to motherhood and fatherhood, removing existing biases and facilitating the return to work by enhancing acquired skills;
  • development of the Hybrid working project for the shared definition of a new mixed working model – through the creation of synergies and redefinition of new values – and extension of training in the area of digitization and new forms of work to all the people in the Group;
  • a growing number of initiatives and services to promote reading.

On the Governance front in 2022:

  • definition and measurement of ESG indicators with the introduction, among the targets of the 2022-2024 Performance Share Plan addressed to top management, of the Impact Inclusion Index, a composite indicator that measures, at the end of the three-year period, the dissemination within the Group of the culture of inclusion, the increase in the number of women in top positions, and the gradual reduction in the pay gap for same roles held;
  • development and implementation of a refresher plan for Board Members and Management in the area of sustainability;
  • strengthening of the set of procedures and coverage of the areas of Privacy, Information Management and Cyber Security;
  • increase in stakeholder engagement activities through the gradual expansion of engagement initiatives and validation of a specific policy on the topic, also in line with the recommendations of the new Corporate Governance Code;
  • validation of an anti-corruption Policy.

On the Environmental front in 2022:

  • extension to 100% of the School proposition of insights and fact sheets dedicated to environmental culture and promotion of such content in the Trade proposition;
  • fulfilment for the publications of the Group’s ≈100% purchase of paper certified to international PEFC/FSC standards aimed at safeguarding and ensuring the proper management of forest ecosystems;
  • pursuit of energy efficiency actions, also as part of property/building/store renovation initiatives, and further activities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

5,000 teachers respond to the Mondadori Group survey on sustainability issues

Diversity, equality and inclusion are the priority for 61% of teachers

In second place “promotion of reading and socio-cultural growth” (54.3%).
Third, “management of environmental impacts” (51.9%)

Which sustainability issues do teachers consider of greatest relevance to respond to the expectations of the world of school?

The Mondadori Group, Italy’s leading publisher of school textbooks with the Mondadori Education, Rizzoli Education and D Scuola publishing houses, put the question in an online questionnaire to approximately 5,000 teachers in primary schools (27%), junior high schools (28%) and senior high schools (45%) all over Italy.

The survey – which collected the opinions of educators – is part of the listening and stakeholder engagement activities promoted by the Group for its consolidated Non-Financial Disclosure.

The contributions from the teachers were taken into consideration during the drafting of the Group’s first Sustainability Plan: a project that identifies the areas and guidelines on which the Segrate-based Group will work in the future, with short- and medium-term objectives, to improve its social, governance and environmental performance. The Plan reflects the Group identity, mission and role as a publisher in society.

“Teachers are fundamental interlocutors for the Mondadori Group, which has always supported the spread of equitable and inclusive quality education, offering opportunities for reading and growth, entertainment and learning,” said Gian Luca Pulvirenti, CEO Mondadori Libri area Education. “Through our publishing houses, we support teachers, from primary schools to universities, with innovative, accessible content and teaching aids designed to contribute to the growth of the new generations; this is why we think that listening to the needs and expectations of the protagonists of our schools is a valuable opportunity for us to enhance and pursue the strategic and sustainable development of our activities,” added Pulvirenti.

The results of the survey

  • 2% of the teachers who responded to the questionnaire said that “diversity, equity and inclusion” was a priority issue in meeting the expectations of the world of school;
  • in second place was “promotion of reading and socio-cultural growth” (54.3%) through local action and educational initiatives in bookstores and schools;
  • of the 15 issues suggested, third place was taken by “management of environmental impacts” (51.9%).

The survey also highlighted the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (Agenda 2030) teachers consider of greatest importance, to be valorised in schools today:

  • for more than 40% of the interviewees, guaranteeing inclusive and equitable quality education and promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all (SDG 4) is the priority goal;
  • this is followed by action to combat climate change (SDG 13), for almost one teacher in three.

Many responses underlined the areas of schooling to which greatest attention should be paid in the future:

  • more than one teacher in two (51.1%) indicated the need to adopt innovative teaching practices, in the interests of inclusivity;
  • 7% of the respondents said it was important to have a specific education offer on sustainability issues and the Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development;
  • 8% focused attention on initiatives to engage young people in civil society and the introduction of civic education;
  • other areas of great interest are action to combat early school-leaving and promotion of initiatives to foster gender equality.

The initiatives of our publishing houses
These questions are examined on a daily basis not only through the content of school textbooks, but also through initiatives organised by the Mondadori Group for teachers and students, such as the launch of the Manifesto for gender equality and plurality by Rizzoli Education, the “#Leparolechesiamo, la scuola che vogliamo” project of Mondadori Education and the “La scuola è” Festival of D Scuola, for teacher training and the whole school community.
The Group also offers innovative tools, including: HUB Scuola, the integrated digital teaching platform of Mondadori Education and Rizzoli Education, with inclusive content for management of all educational needs; the many resources and activities of the Deascuola platform, including the brand new Deaflix inclusive learning service for all the basic topics of the main school subjects; on-going development of innovative user assistance services.

The story of Reha and the other women who fled from Afghanistan

The Wom presents “Storie dall’Afghanistan” (Stories from Afghanistan), written by Afghan women who have found refuge in Italy. The series was produced in cooperation with Cospe, a no-profit association that promote rights and social justice in 25 countries around the world.

The report is a collection of eye-witness accounts of the crisis in Afghanistan. Dramatic, moving stories that could be told by many other women who have fled to Italy from Afghanistan, survivors who have escaped Taliban persecution but are living far away from their families, their loved ones, their rights as women, the free life and better future that should have been theirs.

The first stories posted on The Wom are by Reha Nawin, who escaped from the Taliban and reached Italy in August last year. Born in Kabul 37 years ago, she studied sociology at the capital’s state university. Today she lives in Florence with her husband and two daughters. The story of her life is, in part, the story of all those women who on 26 August did not manage to get into the airport and remained in Afghanistan.

«We had to wait two nights outside the airport before we could get in,» says Reha. «The Taliban would not give us permission to enter. There were so many people who wanted to escape. You saw such desperation in people’s faces, fear of the Taliban and sadness at leaving the country in such dramatic circumstances. Our Italian friends managed to help us and saved our lives».

«Giving a voice to Reha Nawin and the other young Afghan women is one of the ways we have chosen to raise the awareness of our readers, but also of our employees, about the importance of respect for human rights, and women’s rights in particular, and the need to make a tangible commitment to ensuring that diversity and inclusion are truly a constant of our being part of the Mondadori Group,» observes Mondadori Group Chief Diversity Officer Francesca Rigolio

The editorial project “Storie dall’Afghanistan” supports Cospe’s “Emergenza Afghanistan” campaign.

Find out more: The life, escape and hopes of Reha Nawin, an activist who fled from the Taliban

Our support for Emergency at Christmas

This year, for the festive season, the Mondadori Group has decided to support an important Emergency project: the Anabah maternity centre in Afghanistan.

This is the only specialised centre in a huge area that offers completely free gynaecological, obstetric and neonatal care and a prenatal pregnancy monitoring service to enable pathologies to be treated promptly. The Anabah maternity centre’s work is not limited to prevention and medical assistance: it is also a training unit recognised by the Ministries of Health and Education for the Afghan personnel – more than 40 people, all women – who work side by side with the centre’s international staff, receiving practical training.

More than 351,500 examinations were performed in 2019 and 56,329 children have beenborn at the Anabah maternity centre, which has become a reference point for maternity and neonatal care not only in Panjshir, but in the surrounding provinces too. The unit can currently accommodate around 650 births a month and is named after Valeria Solesin, the Emergency volunteer killed during the Bataclan terrorist attack in Paris on 13 November 2015.

«It was the end of 2001 when we decided to open a maternity centre in the beautiful but very closed Panjshir valley, one of the few areas in the country that the Taliban had never managed to conquer. Even so, conditions for women were no less easier. Many people told us we were crazy if we thought that a unit “run by women for women” could have a future up here in the mountains. I have to say that we ourselves had some doubts, on more than one occasion, but our meeting with these strong and resolute women, the enormous need and the credibility that our work give us in the local communities made us even more determined to move ahead with our ambitious project.» Rossella Miccio, president di Emergency

Find out more at “A quiet revolution” and how to support the project on the Emergency website.

Wishing you happy holidays from everyone #NoiDellaMondadori.

Focus: exclusive collaboration with the WWF

A special issue to examine the projects and places to defend in order to safeguard the planet

The journalist of the brand that is a reference point for popular science will work side by side with researchers from the WWF on an extraordinary report marking the 60th anniversary of the association

Focus, the Mondadori Group brand, leader in popular science, is strengthening its commitment to safeguarding the planet with a special issue produced in collaboration with the WWF.

An extraordinary project that sees Italy’s most widely read popular science monthly, a point of reference for science, nature and technology enthusiasts, travelling with the organisation’s researchers to examine – through the authoritative lens of the editorial team – the projects that for 60 years the WWF has pursued in order to protect and endangered land and species.

The project, which brings together Focus and the WWF, will lead to a special report that aims to share with the whole of the brand’s community – of 5.2 million users and readers (source: Nielsen Media Impact Data Fusion, May 2021) – the message that, now more than ever, our defence of the environment cannot be postponed. An initiative that is the first stage of a journey that in 2022 will see Focus celebrate its first 30 years with a series of activities and special events.

“Since 1961, the WWF has been fighting for the protection of nature and ecosystems. And it does so because it understood, before others, that humankind’s wonderful journey has also endangered the planet’s delicate balance. So, we travelled around Italy and the world with the WWF to learn more about the nature reserves they defend, the work they do, the wild places, the plants and the animals that live there. We observed the amazing nature of the earth so that we could tell you about it. And, once again, we did it in awe and admiration, with an amazement that we never want to lose.” said Raffaele Leone, editor of Focus.

Focus proved to be an extraordinary travelling companion that enabled us to talk about the work we did in our first sixty years, from the challenges we have overcome to those we still have to face, aware that our wellbeing also depends on the wellbeing of the nature that surrounds us. Today we know that in the next 10 years we will have to do much more than what has been done in the last 60 years if we are to face the climate crisis and reverse the trend in biodiversity loss. In the last 60 years we have seen the world undergo profound transformations and even the WWF has changed in that time, but one thing will never change: our absolute determination to create a future where people can live in harmony with nature,” said Donatella Bianchi, president of the WWF Italy.

This initiative is the result of a multi-year commitment that Focus has been engaged in to raise awareness and promote the sustainable development goals of the UN 2030 Agenda through initiatives that involve readers, students and teachers across all its channels, which make the brand an important multimedia platform of reference for such issues.

At the heart of this special edition of Focus are reports, first-hand accounts and encounters by journalists from the magazine’s editorial team, exceptional protagonists of the expeditions conducted together with WWF experts.
A journey through the pages of the magazine that will accompany readers around the world with exclusive stories and a selection of unpublished images of the territories explored and their inhabitants.

In Paraguay visiting environments where nature still reigns supreme: an expedition to the heart of South America, which begins in the Chaco area, a territory increasingly threatened by the expansion of livestock breeding and extensive agriculture and which continues from the Pantanal area to the Atlantic forest.

And then in central Africa with a visit to the protected Dzanga-Sangha area where gorillas – overwhelmed by poaching and further threatened by both pervasive and silent deforestation and diseases such as Ebola – are protected and admired by tourists thanks to an “habituation” project launched by the WWF in the 1990s.

The issue also features the story of the search for whales and dolphins in the waters of our own seas: a direct testimony of the experience lived on board the Blue Panda, the WWF ambassador ship, which last summer crossed the Mediterranean Sea spreading its message on the importance of safeguarding the marine ecosystem.

Further enhancing the project, there is also a programme of special content available on the Focus.it website and on the brand’s social channels – which reach more than 3 million followers – with many additional insights, interviews and exclusive images and videos on WWF projects to satisfy the curiosity and interest of users.

A multichannel and circular offer which, from the magazine is developed and enhanced on Focus’s digital channels, confirming the brand’s successful formula that combines the contribution of authoritative voices of international standing with an always fresh and rigorous look with an unmistakably clear and direct style that is able to reach an ever-wider audience.