A POLIMI School of Management research recognised at the Academy of Management Annual Meeting 2025

Giacomo Dei, a PhD candidate at the POLIMI School of Management of Politecnico di Milano, has been awarded the Ronald B. Shuman Award at the Academy of Management Annual Meeting 2025 for a study on how historical narratives influence decision-making in major infrastructure projects.

 

The Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management is the world’s leading event for advancing research in management and organisations. Each year, it brings together thousands of scholars to share knowledge, foster networks, and address the key challenges of the 21st century. 

At the 2025 edition held in Copenhagen, Giacomo Dei, PhD candidate at the POLIMI School of Management of Politecnico di Milano, received the prestigious Ronald B. Shuman Award for the Best Student Paper of the Management History Division. The award was granted for his contribution, “The Battle of Narratives: How outsiders create pasts to shape Fehmarn Belt Link’s prospects”, co-authored with Joana Geraldi and Giorgio Locatelli. 

The research addresses a crucial issue for the planning and governance of large-scale infrastructure projects: how external actors (such as the media, interest groups and political parties) construct historical narratives to guide current decisions and shape future project outcomes. The case study focuses on the Fehmarnbelt Fixed Link, the immersed tunnel that will connect Denmark and Germany, but the findings provide practical insights for managing, governing, and communicating complex projects in a variety of contexts. 

Three key levers emerge for the strategic management of stakeholders: 

  1. Continuity: framing the project within recognised historical trajectories (e.g., European integration, territorial connectivity) strengthens the legitimacy of investment decisions and project planning. 
  1. Lessons learned: selectively drawing on past experiences (e.g., financing models, governance structures, environmental mitigation) allows potential bottlenecks to be anticipated and contracts, permits and interfaces along the supply chain to be adjusted. 
  1. Recurring patterns: identifying in advance common scenarios (delays, cost overruns, disputes) enables the proactive design of countermeasures. 

The key message is that narratives are an integral part of project architecture. Mapping who communicates what becomes a strategic activity in itself, translating into scenarios, communication milestones, measurable success criteria, and contracts that incorporate transparency, data and environmental monitoring requirements. The aim is not to impose a single dominant narrative, but to orchestrate multiple voices so that the project gains support from all stakeholders. 

This recognition highlights the scientific excellence of the POLIMI School of Management and its ability to generate knowledge that supports strategic decision-making in complex contexts. 

The sixth edition of the Save the Duck Graduation Award

A €5,000 prize for the best master’s thesis focused on innovation and sustainability in the fashion, luxury, and design sectors.

 

Now in its sixth year, the initiative is promoted by Save The Duck in collaboration with the POLIMI School of Management ofthe Politecnico di Milano.

The award, worth €5,000 (gross), is open to students who have completed a master’s degree at the Politecnico di Milano between June 2024 and July 2025, in any field of study, with a minimum final grade of 100/110.

Applications must be submitted via the Politecnico di Milano website, under theOther scholarships and graduation awards – Polimi section, by noon on 10 October 2025. The winner will be announced in November 2025.

The award will go to the best master’s thesis in the fashion–luxury–design field addressing one or more of the following topics:

  • Innovative and sustainable raw materials
  • Innovative and sustainable production processes
  • New business models based on the circular economy
  • Animal-free approaches (excluding the use of materials of animal origin, including regenerated ones)
  • The fashion value chain, from raw material sourcing to final customer distribution.

The collaboration between the POLIMI School of Management and Save The Duck, launched in 2019, aims to provide concrete support to young people committed to building a more sustainable future — both environmentally and socially.

The POLIMI School of Management was awarded at TEMSCON Global 2025

From 4 to 7 August 2025, the international conference organised by the IEEE Technology and Engineering Management Society (TEMS) took place in San Diego, CA. TEMSCON Global 2025 is a global reference point for research and practice in technology management, leadership, and innovation.

In this renowned setting, Francesco Alessandro Cuzzola, researcher at the POLIMI School of Management, received the Best Paper Award for his study “Mitigating Demand Fluctuations in Long Supply Chains Through Dataspaces”, which he wrote with his co-authors Marco Taisch and Walter Quadrini.

The research, conducted as part of the MAASive project, aimed to develop models and technological solutions to support businesses and value chains in adopting Manufacturing as a Service approaches to strengthen their resilience. The research analysed the problem of demand fluctuations in complex supply chains, known as the bullwhip effect.

Using a simplified linear simulator, the study compares two scenarios:

  • one with limited transparency, in which supply chain partners have partial information;
  • one with total transparency, made possible by adopting dataspace technologies that enable real-time data sharing.

The results show that the transparency enabled by dataspaces significantly reduces both demand amplification and inventory fluctuations throughout the supply chain.

This recognition confirms the POLIMI School of Management’s leading role in international research on innovation management and technologies for future businesses once again.

SOMe: the third edition of the POLIMI School of Management eMagazine is now online

The new issue of SOMe, the eMagazine of the POLIMI School of Management, is now online, featuring research, projects and collaborations that demonstrate our School’s commitment to addressing today’s most pressing challenges.

 

From short food chains to 5G, exploring European projects and international achievements

This edition explores how short food chains contribute to sustainability, the opportunities offered by 5G positioning, and the role of cross-sector partnerships in driving urban transformation. It also highlights two major EU-funded projects: ADALTIM, focused on Impact Rating, and RISE-IN, developing resilient solutions and innovative financing models to tackle climate change.

Other features include key events hosted by the School, such as the iBEGIN Workshop on digital globalization, the XXXIII AEDE Meeting on education and policy, and the INFLUENCES Workshop on inflation. The issue also introduces HumanTech | Unfolding Pathways for the More-than-Human Society, a public event taking place on 30 October 2025, dedicated to exploring the interaction between technology and people in the digital transition, with contributions from companies and professionals.

Finally, the issue celebrates the School’s latest milestones: Politecnico di Milano entering the Top 100 of the QS World University Rankings, the POLIMI Graduate School of Management’s recognition as a Pioneering School in the 2025 Positive Impact Rating, and new partnerships and networks strengthening international collaboration.

 

To read previous issues of SOMe, click here.

To receive it directly in your inbox, subscribe here.

MEETmeTonight 2025: POLIMI School of Management showcases its research on society, innovation and digital transformation

The POLIMI School of Management of the Politecnico di Milano is taking part in the MEETmeTonight, the event taking place in Milan on 26–27 September 2025 as part of the European Researchers’ Night. The initiative is dedicated to science outreach, with activities, workshops and talks designed to bring the world of research closer to the public.

 

Inspired by the missions of the Horizon Europe programme, the 2025 edition will be structured around five thematic areas featuring talks, workshops, interactive activities and performances. Throughout the event, audiences will explore some of the major global challenges of our time: from health to sustainability, and from innovation to the complex relationship between technology and society.

The initiative, free and open to everyone, will be held at the Università Statale di Milano, Via Festa del Perdono 7. It will be an opportunity to meet also researchers from the POLIMI School of Management and gain insights into how research helps us understand social, economic and technological change.

 

The contribution of our School

The POLIMI School of Management will contribute to the 2025 programme with three events, held in Italian, focusing on digital transformation, the role of data, and the future of artificial intelligence.

 

  • Stories of digital transformation in traditional companies
    Friday 26 September, 6:00–6:20 pm – Talk Space
    A session exploring, through real-world cases and practical tools, how even traditional companies can embark on innovation journeys, embracing digital solutions while at the same time strengthening their identity.
    Led by Professors Tommaso Buganza and Daniel Trabucchi, POLIMI School of Management.
    To visit the official page dedicated to this talk, click here.

 

  • Data for social inequalities: how citizens can support their collection and use
    Saturday 27 September, 11:00 am–4:00 pm – Room 420
    A workshop to explore and reflect on some of the most pressing social challenges facing the city of Milan, with a particular focus on the role of data: which information can help us better understand these challenges, who can collect data, and how they can be used to develop innovative solutions.
    The workshop, led by Researchers Enrico Bellazzecca and Federico Bartolomucci, will last two hours and be offered in two sessions (11:00 am–1:00 pm or 2:00–4:00 pm).
    Advance booking is required. To register for the workshop, click here.

 

  • Artificial intelligence and the future of digital healthcare
    Saturday 27 September, 4:00–4:20 pm – Talk Space
    A talk exploring the impact of Artificial Intelligence on digital healthcare. Drawing on data from the Digital Healthcare Observatory, the session will provide insights into future scenarios, key challenges and opportunities linked to its applications.
    Presented by Mattia Olive, Researcher at the POLIMI School of Management of Politecnico di Milano.
    To visit the official page dedicated to this talk, click here.

 

For more information and to view the full programme, please visit the official MEETmeTonight website.

A POLIMI School of Management project wins the Best Proposal Award at the SEJ-ESSEC Paper Development Workshop

The research proposal by Davide Moiana and Antonio Ghezzi, focused on coordination mechanisms in venture studios, received the Best Proposal Award at the first European edition of the SEJ-ESSEC Paper Development Workshop.

 

At the 2025 edition of the SEJ-ESSEC Paper Development Workshop, held in Paris, the research project from the POLIMI School of Management of Politecnico di Milano by Davide Moiana and Antonio Ghezzi received the Best Proposal Award. The proposal focuses on coordination in the startup creation processes within venture studios.

Organized by the Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal, one of the leading international journals in the fields of entrepreneurship and strategy, in collaboration with ESSEC Business School, the workshop was held in Europe for the first time. The initiative brought together scholars from around the world to present and discuss early-stage research projects, fostering scientific dialogue and the development of innovative contributions in the fields of strategy and entrepreneurship.

In this stimulating environment, the proposal by Davide Moiana and Antonio Ghezzi stood out for its potential. Their work examines the complex dynamics of coordinating experimentation activities within venture studios, an emerging entrepreneurial model in which an organization acts as both co-founder and investor, providing strategic and operational support for the development of a portfolio of startups. The goal is to shed light on the mechanisms that enable these organizations to manage serial entrepreneurial processes while maintaining strategic coherence and operational effectiveness.

The jury, composed of ESSEC faculty members and Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal editors Sam Garg, Yong Li, and Pinar Ozcan, recognized the originality of the approach and the potential impact of the project, encouraging the team to further develop it with a view to future submission to a scientific journal. Following this important achievement, Davide Moiana and Antonio Ghezzi will continue to advance their research.

The award not only highlights the academic excellence of the POLIMI School of Management, but also underscores its ability to make a significant contribution to the global debate on strategic entrepreneurship and new organizational models for startup creation.

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

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

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

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.

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.