Publications
Organizing for Innovation.
Advanced Client-Supplier Relationships
by Adriano De Maio & Enrico Maggiore
Preface by Lucio Stanca
IBM Foundation Book Series
Published in 1992, the book remains a significant reference in management theory. It illustrates the benefits of a co‑design and co‑innovation relationship between customer and supplier, highlighting how shared development accelerates competitiveness.
Through several successful cases, the book describes the evolution of client–supplier collaboration in high‑tech and mid‑tech manufacturing contexts. These cases reveal the growth opportunities that emerge from a systematic exchange of knowledge, information, and intangible assets, generating competitive advantages for both parties.
The book concludes by proposing a reference model for an “advanced customer–supplier relationship.”
At the time of publication, the Internet did not yet exist. The most advanced communication technology was EDI (Electronic Data Interchange), which allowed only point‑to‑point connections. The case studies include IBM, FIAT, Siemens, Honda, ABB, BTicino, and Alcatel. Read More >
Defining politics and monitoring results
by Gian Carlo Vecchi e Giuseppe Gioioso
Public Function Department Book Series
This handbook is the result of the Workshop "Integration of Planning and Strategic Control Tools" promoted by the Department of Public Function of the Presidency of the Italian Council of Ministers.
The book highlights how many Italian cities adopt formalized processes to define policies, strategies, and projects, and how they use specific tools for monitoring, control, and performance evaluation. It emphasizes the originality and integration of the different configurations adopted by local governments, each shaped by its strategic objectives and organizational context.
Among the cases presented, the book includes the Municipality of Caltagirone, with a detailed analysis of the Strategic Development Plan 2004–2011, designed and developed by InnVenture. The Plan received three national awards: two at Forum PA (2007 and 2008) and one at the Real Estate Expo in Milan (2007). Read more >
Expo 2015. Just a Milanese affair or an opportunity for the country?
by Enrico Maggiore
This article, published in 2011 by the web magazine "Alarm Milan, Hope Milan", proposed an alternative model for Expo 2015 in Milan. It outlined a project focused on economic growth, agricultural know‑how, and international cooperation as the cornerstone of the event.
Instead of a “festival of food and cuisine” — which is what the Expo eventually became — the article advocated for an exhibition of technologies and innovations in agriculture, capable of generating long‑term value for Italy and for partner countries.
The article also called for a strong involvement of Italian regions in food security initiatives addressing the needs of developing countries, with activities that should have started as early as 2011.
Finally, two strategic objectives were assigned to the city of Milan:
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to regain its role as the engine of the Italian economy, and
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to showcase its key cultural traits to the world: concreteness and solidarity. Read more >
Silicon Solutions. Helping plants to help themselves. A holistic review
by Edward Bent
There is a substantial body of scientific research demonstrating the benefits of an adequate silicon supply for plants. Yet very few books — if any — have attempted to translate this academic knowledge into a form accessible to the practical needs of growers and agronomists. In this sense, the book is the first of its kind.
Of particular importance, it highlights the contributions that silicon can make to improving internal produce quality and post‑harvest performance, including nutritional value, packing, transport, storage, and distribution.
The effects of silicon on plants cannot be considered in isolation from its influence on soil structure, soil microorganisms, and plant stress dynamics — because silicon provides benefits across all these dimensions.
The book is organized into sections dedicated to agricultural, horticultural, and floricultural crops, and includes a series of tables summarizing the positive results obtained from silicon use. It is written in a clear, accessible style and is richly illustrated.
Read more >
RE-USE Ragusa.
Sustainable strategies to revive the city center
by Carlo Alberto Maggiore
Ragusa is the chief town of the southernmost province of Italy and one of the eight cities in south‑eastern Sicily that were included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2002 for the innovation of their urban plans and the architectural value of their late Baroque monuments.
The book focuses on the regeneration of the historic center of Ragusa Superiore, the “new town” built on a higher plateau after the 1693 earthquake that destroyed the original settlement. More specifically, it presents the results of an extensive program of studies and design work carried out on the city and its surrounding environment, developed by the Municipality of Ragusa in collaboration with the Polytechnic University of Milan, in preparation for the revision of its general urban plan.
South exists
Fifty years of professional commitment to the South by an economist from Lombardy, reread with a current and future perspective.
by Marco Vitale
This book brings together the author’s writings and professional experiences in Southern Italy over a period of fifty years, reinterpreted through a contemporary and forward‑looking perspective. Its objective is to highlight the mistakes made in Southern Italy in order to identify new paths beneficial to both the North and the South.
A common thread connects the author’s professional interventions in the South: a set of principles and deep convictions that did not originate in the South or for the South, but in a much broader context, shaped by the study of history, economics, and extensive international professional experience. These principles have found in Southern Italy numerous opportunities for comparison, refinement, and confirmation — both positive and negative.
At the author’s request, the book includes a chapter written by Enrico Maggiore on the development project for the city of Caltagirone, led by InnVenture: “Many missed opportunities in Sturzo’s city.” Read more>