Student guide Faculty of Engineering A.Y. 2010/11

Strategic issues of Made in Italy has been created to offer an overview of the so-called Made in Italy industries (e.g.: fashion/textile, furniture/design, luxury goods/jewellery, household, wine/food and tourism) to international and Italian students, who wish to gain a greater understanding of the strategic, managerial, organizational and brand capabilities of Italian companies. The course examines the principal distinctive features of the Italian business system in terms of social relations, industrial districts, family firms, entrepreneurial attitudes, creativity and design. Case studies, together with class discussions and speeches from guests (entrepreneurs and managers from top Italian companies, consultants and journalists) are used extensively in the course. As well, company and cultural visits to the most famous Italian symbol-intensive companies (in the fields of fashion, design, luxury goods and wine/food) are organized as a compulsory part of the course.

Topic One – The determinants of the competitive advantage of Italy:
1. An introduction to the Italian economic system;
2. the «Made in Italy» industries;
3. the Italian system in an international context;
4. the roots of Italian competitiveness: creativity, design, innovation, networks, society, family.
Topic Two – Italian industrial districts:
1. industrial districts and clusters as the prevailing organizational form of Made in Italy industries;
2. the strengths and weaknesses of Italian industrial districts;
3.industrial districts’ profiles (fashion/textile, furniture/design, luxury goods/jewellery, household, wine/food, tourism/culture):
3.1 pipeline, history, demand conditions, key actors, related and supporting industries;
3.2 market segmentation, positioning and competitive analysis;
3.3 district and corporate brand identity;
3.4 critical issues in the product development process;
3.5 prevailing strategic behaviours.
Topic Three – The Italian champions:
1. the business model of Italian champions (e.g.: Benetton, Luxottica, Ferrari, Armani, Illycaffè, Ferrè, Valentino, Ferragamo, Divani & Divani, Tod’s, Diesel, Nordica, Antinori, Barilla, Campari, Cinzano,Martini, Piaggio-Vespa, Prada, Ferrero, Aprilia, Missoni, Dolce & Gabbana, Giugiaro, Pininfarina, Artemide, La Murrina, etc.);
2. strategic issues of Italian champions (symbolic-intensive management, branding, networking and localization, international competitiveness, etc.);
3. the role of entrepreneurs, entrepreneurial attitudes and "familiness" (case discussions and guests).

Students' knowledge is assessed through the participation in class discussions, as well as through written mid term and final exams.