Category: Events

POLIMI School of Management stands out at ENTFIN Conference 2025 with research on AI and startup acceleration

Posted on | by Veronica Colombo

David Heller, researcher at the POLIMI School of Management of the Politecnico di Milano, was awarded the “Best Paper Award” and the “European Investment Fund Best Paper Award on Policy Impact” at the ENTFIN Conference 2025 for two of his pioneering studies on the role of Generative AI in business productivity and the impact of public policies on startup internationalization.

 

At the 9th Annual Meeting of the Entrepreneurial Finance Association (ENTFIN), held from July 2 to 4, 2025, at Erasmus University Rotterdam, David Heller, researcher at the POLIMI School of Management of the Politecnico di Milano, was awarded the Best Paper Award and the European Investment Fund Best Paper Award on Policy Impact.

The ENTFIN conference is a prestigious international event that brings together scholars interested in entrepreneurial finance from different fields in management, finance, and economics. The aim of the ENTFIN Association is to provide a platform for developing cooperation between academics and practitioners interested in the field of entrepreneurial finance and its applications, in particular, to stimulate high quality research between entrepreneurial finance scholars.

During the 2025 edition, David Heller received two prestigious recognitions for his studies on the implications of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) on firm-level productivity and the effects of government-funded accelerator programs on startups’ internationalization efforts.

The “Best Paper Award” was granted for Heller’s contribution on “Generative AI and Firm-level Productivity: Evidence from Startup Funding Dynamics”, co-authored with Dominik Asam (full article accessible here). This paper provides first large-scale evidence on the productivity effects of Generative AI in organizations. To study this, it exploits the release of GitHub Copilot in 2021 as a quasi-natural experiment and shows that software developing startups obtained initial external funding significantly faster (+19%) and with significantly fewer employed software developers (-20%). Yet, to elicit these results startups must be led by highly experienced founders, demonstrating that GenAI can have significant productivity gains, but it requires complementary human capital to appropriate these returns.

The European Investment Fund Best Paper Award on Policy Impact was awarded to Heller for the study “Learning from Abroad? Startup Accelerators and International Market Entry” (co-authored with Daehyun Kim and Dietmar Harhoff). The study examines internationalization efforts of startups, a key strategy for many entrepreneurial ventures today, by leveraging a unique dataset that combines proprietary application data from the German Accelerator (GA) – a government-financed program designed to support startups’ international market entry – with detailed startup-level, founder, and investment information. The analysis shows that participating startups significantly raised funding and hired more employees in the GA’s target countries. However, these effects are muted for startups that took part in online programs that were introduced in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the results are strongest among startups whose founders had limited international experience prior to participating. This way, the study advances the understanding of the potential and limitations of startup accelerators in supporting international market entry.

The awards received confirm the scientific value and practical relevance of the research conducted, and reaffirm the contribution of the POLIMI School of Management of the Politecnico di Milano to advancing knowledge in entrepreneurial finance, innovation policy, and the transformative potential of emerging technologies.

The representation of scientists in society: an image still dominated by stereotypes

Posted on | by Veronica Colombo

A scoping review published in Sociology Lens analyzes over one hundred academic studies, highlighting how the collective representation of scientists remains anchored to rigid and exclusive stereotypes.

 

Why is it that, even today, the most common image of a scientist is that of a brilliant, solitary man, perhaps slightly eccentric, working alone in a laboratory? Starting from this question, Cristina Rossi-Lamastra and Omar Mazzucchelli from the POLIMI School of Management of Politecnico di Milano conducted a scoping review, published in Sociology Lens under the title Still a Man in a Lab Coat? A Scoping Review on the Stereotypical Scientist.

The scoping review examines 106 academic studies selected from the Scopus database, aiming to investigate how the figure of the scientist is portrayed in the media, public communication, and educational materials. Using the theoretical framework based on social representation theory, the authors distinguish between core elements – stable and widely shared over time – and peripheral elements, which are more subject to change.

The analysis reveals that the scientist stereotype is based on particularly persistent core elements: male gender, exceptional intelligence, and affiliation with the natural and physical sciences. These aspects remain stable despite the increasing presence of women in research and inclusion policies in STEM fields. On the other hand, peripheral elements, including physical appearance (lab coat, glasses, messy hair) or certain personality traits (solitude, eccentricity), are more flexible but do not substantially alter the prevailing image. The core of the stereotype remains unchanged: scientists are still perceived as men.

The study reflects on how the image of the “stereotypical scientist” influences the public’s relationship with science, especially in an era of growing disinvestment in scientific research. In a context marked by cuts to public funding and occasional distrust towards science, a distorted perception of scientists – as distant, opaque, or even threatening elites – can contribute to fueling skepticism and justify disinvestment policies. Moreover, the stereotype limits the inclusion of diverse profiles, reducing the visibility of female researchers, young scholars, and experts from social sciences and humanities.

The review concludes with a call to action. Public representations of science and its protagonists are not neutral: they can either foster trust and engagement or create distance and misinformation. Therefore, a collective effort is needed – from educational institutions, the media, policymakers, and the academic world itself – to build more inclusive and realistic narratives. Only in this way can we transform the collective imagination, strengthen public trust in science, and make it truly accessible to all.

For more details on the article: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/johs.70003

How Brexit reshaped venture capitals market

Posted on | by Veronica Colombo

A study from POLIMI School of Management of Politecnico di Milano published in Research Policy 

 

After Brexit, London slowed down investments in Europe, while Europe continues to focus on the United Kingdom. A recent study in Research Policy, co-authored by Andrea Odille Bosio, Vincenzo Butticè and Annalisa Croce from the POLIMI School of Management of Politecnico di Milano, and Simone Signore and Andrea Crisanti of the European Investment Fund (EIF) shows these findings.

The research examined more than a decade of venture capital (VC) investments in the UK and EU, distinguishing between pre-announcement, the uncertainty period (2016 referendum to formal exit), and post-Brexit stages. The result was an asymmetric response from investors on the two sides.

Vincenzo Butticè, Professor of Business Data Analytics, said: “UK investors reacted immediately, cutting back investments in Europe after the Brexit announcement. European investors, instead, waited for greater clarity before changing their behaviour. This supports the idea that Brexit raised uncertainty in the market for financing innovative entrepreneurship.”

According to the analysis, after the 2016 referendum, UK funds drastically reduced their operations in continental Europe, maintaining a cautious approach and focusing on the domestic market. EU investors waited until after Brexit’s official implementation in 2020 before significantly boosting investments in British startups.

A ossible explanation is that EU investment growth in the UK may stem from weaker fundraising by British funds, coupled with new partnership strategies between UK and EU investors to navigate post-Brexit barriers, as indicated by the analysis of syndicated investment data from funds in both regions.

The study provides a novel perspective on the reshaping of innovation-driven capital flows across Europe and their lasting implications for the startup ecosystem. Italy, with its modest VC share, can use Brexit as an opportunity to strengthen its foothold in Europe’s investment market.

Learn more: How Brexit reshaped venture capitals market: An analysis of UK and EU investments – ScienceDirect

Education and Policy: The XXXIII AEDE Meeting, held at the Politecnico di Milano, brought together over 100 experts from around the world.

Posted on | by Marta Re Ferrè

On 26 and 27 June 2025, the Politecnico di Milano will host the 33rd AEDE Meeting, an international event exploring the relationship between research, educational practice, and policy decisions. Over 110 experts from 77 universities discussed global challenges and solutions for making education systems more equitable and effective.

 

The POLIMI School of Management at the Politecnico di Milano hosted the annual meeting of the Asociación de Economía de la Educación (AEDE) on 26 and 27 June 2025. The event was originally scheduled to take place at the University of Zaragoza in Spain. The event brought together over 110 researchers and experts from 77 universities worldwide.

Now in its 33rd year, the conference has, since 1992, provided a forum for international reflection and discussion on the role of education in the economic and social life of individual countries from a variety of perspectives.

At the heart of the debate, as Prof. Tommaso Agasisti from POLIMI School of Management of Politecnico di Milano, highlighted at the opening, is a crucial issue for the worlds of research and education policy: how to build solid bridges between scientific evidence, teaching practice, and policy decisions.

In a context where the work of data analysis, the construction of rigorous models, and the development of robust results by researchers risk remaining confined to academia, the AEDE Meeting is a valuable platform for dialogue between research and policy decisions.

The event combines academic interest with the concrete commitment of the organisers and participants to communicate the key findings of the debate to civil society and decision-makers. The ultimate goal is to deepen knowledge of education systems and inform education policy in all its aspects, with the aim of improving education systems globally.

To achieve this ambitious goal, it was essential not only to share numerous experiences, but also to foster an understanding of how institutions function in various countries, how they address the daily challenges of educational policy and how they interact with the research community.

During the plenaries, leading experts in the field of economics of education and educational assessment, including Roberto Ricci from INVALSI, Carmen Tovar from INEE – Spain and Miguel Urquiola from Columbia University, offered wide-ranging reflections on global trends in education, such as digital transformation, curriculum reforms and systemic inequalities.

Several issues were then addressed in depth during the parallel sessions:

  • Educational inequalities: analysing how gender, socio-economic status and context influence access to education and educational outcomes
  • The determinants of school performance: exploring environmental, social and organisational factors affecting learning
  • Evaluation of educational policies: using international data and quantitative tools to measure the effectiveness of interventions
  • The relationship between higher education and the labour market: highlighting how universities influence employability and professional development
  • Well-being and non-cognitive skills: recognised as central to students’ educational success and personal growth

The XXXIII AEDE Meeting confirmed the importance of an international dialogue based on data and empirical research to guide the development of education systems. It also highlighted that school policies must consider not only performance, but also inclusivity, equity, and student well-being, in order to create a fairer and more effective education system.

The POLIMI School of Management team won the Best Paper Award in the Immersive Technologies category at the AIRSI Conference 2025

Posted on | by Marta Re Ferrè

Michele Di Dalmazi, Marco Mandolfo, Francesco Di Paolo and Lucio Lamberti won the award for their paper on immersive technologies at the AIRSI Conference 2025.

 

The winners of the Best Paper Awards in the different thematic areas were announced during the AIRSI 2025 – The Metaverse Conference, organised by the University of Zaragoza.

AIRSI is an international scientific conference dedicated to the study of immersive technologies, artificial intelligence, and human–computer interaction. The conference aims to promote discussion between academics, professionals, and companies on the changes taking place in digital worlds.

The 2025 edition brought together academics, practitioners, and corporate representatives for interdisciplinary discussions on the impact of emerging technologies on marketing, consumer behaviour, and immersive communication.

During the event, awards were presented for outstanding academic contributions in the field of research. One of these was the Best Paper Award for Full Paper, PhD – Immersive Technologies, which was won by Michele Di Dalmazi, Marco Mandolfo, Francesco Di Paolo and Lucio Lamberti from the POLIMI School of Management of the Politecnico di Milano.

The paper entitled “Exploring Individual Attention in Virtual Environments: A Multi-Method Investigation Involving Eye-Tracking and EEG”, received the Best Paper Award in the Full Paper, PhD – Immersive Technologies category. This study combines neurophysiological (EEG) and behavioural (eye-tracking) data to significantly contribute to our understanding of the cognitive processes underlying immersive experiences.

This award recognises the scientific and practical value of the research, confirming its contribution to the development of innovative interpretative models for analysing immersive digital experiences.

 

For more details on the article: Exploring Individual Attention in Virtual Environments: A multi-method investigation involving eye-tracking and EEG – ScienceDirect

 

QS World University Rankings: Politecnico di Milano ranks 98th

Posted on | by Marta Re Ferrè

It is the first Italian university to enter the global Top 100

 

For the first time, an Italian university enters the Top 100 of the QS World University Rankings, one of the world’s most prestigious academic ranking: Politecnico di Milano ranks 98th in the 2026 edition, achieving a historic result that marks a national record and at the same time an important recognition of the value of Italian excellence in education and research.

With this achievement, the Politecnico ranks in the top 6 percent of world universities. The shift from 111th to 98th position testifies to the solidity of a steady growth over time: in ten years, the University has climbed as many as 89 positions, 41 of which in the last three years (from 139th in 2023), distinguishing itself as a point of reference for the Italian university system and among international academic excellence.

In Italy, the Politecnico di Milano is confirmed first in overall performance and in the quality of its key indicators.

Among the indicators that contributed most to the achievement of the Top 100 were Employer Reputation and Academic Reputation. The first – which measures the esteem in which graduates are held by international employers – highlights Politecnico’s ability to train highly qualified professionals who are ready to face the challenges of the world of work. The second – which assesses the prestige perceived by the global academic community – confirms the high quality of research and teaching carried out at the University.

Excellent results were also achieved in the Employment Outcomes criteria, which attests to a high employment rate among graduates and a significant impact of their careers in their respective fields. The figure for Citations per Faculty, which measures the average number of scientific citations per faculty member and reflects the relevance of scientific production at the international level, also rose sharply.

These positive results are also supported by a significant increase in scientific productivity, a tangible sign of an active, attractive and innovation-oriented academic community.

 

This is a particularly significant achievement. Italy finally enters the top 100 of the QS World Rankings like the other G7 countries. This is a demonstration of the relevance and prestige not only of Politecnico di Milano, but of the Italian education and research system. A leap forward that started ten years ago. It is an expression of a clear growth strategy; of the passion and dedication of the entire Politecnico di Milano community; of careful planning and management of resources; and of an effective system of interaction with businesses and the territory.

Donatella Sciuto, Rector of Politecnico di Milano

The QS World University Rankings 2026 analyzed more than 8,400 universities in 106 countries. Of these, 1,501 made the rankings, including 43 Italian ones. Politecnico di Milano’s result represents a turning point for Italian universities and a strong signal of its ability to compete, innovate and grow globally.

 

Key Figures

Overall ranking: 98th out of more than 8,400 universities evaluated. This is the first time an Italian university has entered the QS Top 100 ranking.Position in Italy: 1st place overall.Universities analyzed: 8,467 universities from 106 countries. Of these, 1,501 entered the ranking. There are 43 Italian universities present.Indicators of excellence:

  • Employer Reputation: 90.1/100
  • Academic Reputation: 83.4/100
  • Employment Outcomes: 72.0/100
  • Citations per Faculty: 53.9/100
  • International Faculty: 74.4/100

Ten-year trend: +89 positions gained in ten years. The Politecnico rose from 187th place in 2016 to 98th in 2026.Scientific Productivity: over 27,000 publications and 270,000 citations in 2019-2024 (source: Scopus/QS).

 

See the rankings: https://www.topuniversities.com/world-university-rankings

Research, impact and collaboration: an international debate on Outcomes-Based Contracts at POLIMI School of Management

Posted on | by Veronica Colombo

How to rethink the design and financing of public services to address complex challenges such as health, education or urban regeneration? At POLIMI School of Management, a workshop dedicated to Outcomes-Based Contracts (OBCs) sought to answer this question.

 

On May 29–30 2025, the POLIMI School of Management of the Politecnico di Milano hosted the Outcomes-Based Contracts Workshop, an international event that brought together over 30 academics and practitioners from all over Europe – and beyond. The workshop was organised by the TIRESIA research centre and focused on the potential of Outcomes-Based Contracts (OBCs) to enhance effectiveness, innovation, and social impact in public policy management. OBCs are a contractual mechanism that ties funding to long-term outcomes, shifting the focus from outputs to actual, measurable results over time.

Partnerships between diverse actors are increasingly being studied as mechanisms for implementing strategies aimed at addressing global grand challenges, as outlined in the 2030 Agenda (SDG 17). In this context, Outcome-Based Contracts (OBCs), including Social Impact Bonds (SIBs) and Pay-for-Success (PFS) initiatives, have emerged as innovative forms of partnerships between public and private sectors with the purpose of tackling these wicked problems. These contracts are designed to drive reforms in public services by coordinating funding, management, and provision of public services. By linking financial resources to performance outcomes, OBCs place the evaluation of both performance and public value generation at the centre of stakeholder negotiations.

The Outcomes-Based Contracts Workshop was a clear sign of growing interest in these themes. Throughout the sessions, theoretical and methodological contributions explored the different perspectives of the actors involved: from the role of private companies in sustainability, to hybrid logics in investment processes, to the analysis of social impact and the most effective contractual mechanisms. Particular attention was paid to the role of public administrations as orchestrators of social innovation ecosystems, highlighting how OBCs can enable new forms of participatory and territorial governance.

Over the two-day workshop, participants shared case studies and empirical research illustrating how OBCs can improve the accountability and efficiency of public services. A wide range of experiences were presented, spanning diverse contexts—from the UK and South Africa to Italy and Ghana. Notable examples included the Education Outcomes Fund, active in several African countries to improve access to and quality of pre-school education, and the Italian pilot project TOUCH, aimed at activating a regional outcome fund to fight youth drop-out.

The event provided an important opportunity to consolidate an international network of research and practice, share emerging experiences, and reflect on new ways of collaboration between the public, private and third sectors to generate social value. The workshop confirmed how urgent – and possible – it is to innovate public policy funding and management mechanisms, focusing on results and impact for people.

Positive Impact Rating 2025: POLIMI Graduate School of Management is the only European School to receive the highest recognition for its generated impact

Posted on | by Veronica Colombo

The Business School of the POLIMI School of Management of Politecnico di Milano is the only School in Europe to have achieved Level 5 in the Positive Impact Rating 2025, confirming its leadership across all dimensions of impact

 

POLIMI Graduate School of Management, part of the POLIMI School of Management of Politecnico di Milano, has once again been recognised for its social impact and strong commitment to sustainability. As part of the sixth edition of the Positive Impact Rating (PIR), the School was awarded Level 5 – the highest possible rating – distinguishing itself as the only business school in Europe to reach this level. The 2025 report, entitled RETHINKING SOCIETAL IMPACT – A roadmap for business schools to implement positive impact, was presented at the 2025 PIR Global Summit and also discussed during the United Nations PRME Global Forum.

The PIR was created with the aim of assessing the positive impact that business schools generate in society on a global scale, reflecting a growing trend in higher education: to develop conscious leaders who are equipped to face the complex challenges of our time. This year’s edition involved 86 business schools from 28 countries across all five continents, with more than 17,167 students participating – up 13% compared to the previous year. Twenty-six institutions took part for the first time, a clear sign of the growing interest in impact-driven education.

POLIMI Graduate School of Management was the only European School to achieve Level 5, which qualifies it as a Pioneering School in the PIR. With a score between 8.8 and 10, the School demonstrated its leadership across all the dimensions of Impact.

The PIR is based on 20 questions grouped into eight indicators: Governance, Culture, Programmes, Learning Methods, Student Support, Research, Role Models and Public Engagement. These are further organised into four key dimensions: Energising, Educating, Engaging and Empowering. Results place business schools into one of five levels based on their impact, three of which are publiched: Level 3 (Progressing), Level 4 (Transforming) and Level 5 (Pioneering).

A distinctive feature of the PIR is that it is a rating created by students, for students. As the primary stakeholders in business education, students are given a platform to express their views on how their school addresses social and environmental challenges, prepares them to become responsible leaders, and how it could further enhance its positive impact. That is also why the School chose to participate for the second year in a row: to actively listen to younger generations and steer its strategic development in a more conscious and inclusive direction.

“Receiving the highest level in the Positive Impact Rating 2025 and being recognised as a Pioneering School is a source of great pride for us, but above all, of responsibility. This result encourages us to continue our commitment to the structural integration of sustainability and social impact in every dimension of the School: from teaching to research, up to strategic and operational choices“, commented Federico Frattini, Dean of POLIMI Graduate School of Management. “The message that comes from students from all over the world is clear: they want an education that prepares them to face the systemic challenges of our time, not to replicate the models from the past. This is a request with which we agree and which we will continue to translate into concrete, interdisciplinary and real-world experiences. Being the only school in Europe in this category encourages us to act as a bridge between global aspirations and local needs, contributing to the transformation of our educational and entrepreneurial ecosystem.”

The Positive Impact Rating was developed by a coalition of business school experts and international NGOs such as WWF, Oxfam, and the United Nations Global Compact, and is supported by student organisations such as oikos, AIESEC and Net Impact. It is also backed by VIVA Idea (Costa Rica), the Foundation Institute for Business Sustainability and FehrAdvice (Switzerland).

FT Executive Education Rankings 2025: POLIMI Graduate School of Management climbs the Financial Times rankings and strengthens its global standing

Posted on | by Veronica Colombo

Significant progress in Open programmes and solid performance in Custom ones confirm the high quality of executive education offered by the Business School of Politecnico di Milano

 

POLIMI Graduate School of Management, part of the POLIMI School of Management at Politecnico di Milano, has once again stood out on the international executive education stage, thanks to its results in the Financial Times Executive Education Rankings 2025. The School is listed in both of the rankings dedicated to executive education: Open-enrolment and Custom programmes.

In the Open programme ranking, the School made a significant leap forward, moving up 12 places compared to 2024 and securing 57th place out of 85 institutions evaluated globally. This improvement reflects the School’s ability to deliver learning experiences that are increasingly innovative, hands-on, and tailored to the evolving needs of managers and professionals. A particularly strong indicator in this category is Overall Satisfaction, where the School ranks 15th globally, with a score of 9.67 out of 10, a substantial improvement over last year. This result highlights the perceived quality and positive impact of the educational experience offered by the School.

As for Custom programmes, which are developed in close partnership with companies to meet specific needs, the School has reinforced its international presence, ranking 67th out of 95 business schools worldwide. This placement is especially significant given the growing number of institutions included in this year’s ranking.
Among the most notable performance indicators in the Custom category are:

  • Follow-up, which measures the support provided to participants even after the programme ends, with the School ranking 37th;
  • Future Use, which reflects how likely companies are to renew their collaboration for future programmes, where the School ranks 39th globally.

Additional improvements were recorded in the perception of the value of the educational experience (Value for Money) and the faculty diversity, showing the School’s continued investment in creating a high-quality, global, and inclusive learning environment.

“The results of the FT 2025 ranking confirms the quality and relevance of our executive training offer, both for individual professionals and for companies“, commented Federico Frattini, Dean of POLIMI Graduate School of Management. “We are particularly proud of the jump in the Open ranking, the result of constant work on the front of educational innovation and personalisation of courses. At the same time, the consolidation in the Custom area demonstrates our ability to design tailor-made, high-impact solutions, in an increasingly competitive context.”

With a steady and growing presence in major international rankings, POLIMI Graduate School of Management continues to stand out in the field of executive education – thanks to an offering that combines innovation, international outlook and real impact for individuals and organisations.

Discover the second issue of SOMe, the POLIMI School of Management’s eMagazine

Posted on | by Veronica Colombo

The second issue of SOMe, the POLIMI School of Management’s eMagazine, is now available with a new issue full of insights, in-depth articles and projects that showcase our School’s commitment to innovation, sustainability and social impact.

 

Entrepreneurship, business models and innovation

In this edition, we explore how data-driven strategies are transforming maintenance services and how business model design can shape consumers’ perception of value. We also examine how innovation contests help cultivate entrepreneurship inside organizations.

Other highlights include a focus on digital agriculture through the European Farmtopia project, an analysis of workplace safety in the digital age with the PrePaRa project and the latest findings from the Open Innovation Lookout and Minibond Observatories.

We also share updates on the upcoming EurOMA 2025 conference and the new POLIMI School of Management Impact Report – BSIS Assessment, which highlights our School’s tangible impact on society, local community and businesses.

 

To read previous issues of SOMe, click here.

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