In recent years, my scientific activity has focused on the design and management of innovation ecosystems, structured around three interconnected main streams.
The first stream concerns the introduction and development of Design Thinking in Italy. As a pioneer in this field, I founded the first Italian laboratory dedicated to this methodology, transferring the principles I learned during my time at Stanford. My research explores the application of Design Thinking not only for the development of new products but also as a tool for organizational transformation and policy design. I have published studies on the integration of Design Thinking with discrete-event simulation in healthcare (Production Planning and Control, AIIG: SILVER) and on the role of prototypes in multidisciplinary teams (Creativity and Innovation Management, AIIG: SILVER), the latter article earning me the "Top Cited Article 2020–2021" award.
The second stream is dedicated to Open Innovation. My ongoing affiliation with CERN IdeaSquare, of which I am a founding member, is central to this work. This is reflected in my role as Editor-in-Chief of the CERN IdeaSquare Journal of Experimental Innovation (Scopus-indexed), which I have led since 2023. I coordinate European (e.g., Horizon 2020, Erasmus+) research projects that study and apply open innovation models in scientific and industrial contexts. My research has generated innovative models, such as the "Hybrid Model Matrix," which integrates Stage-Gate with Design Thinking and Agile, published in Research Technology Management (AIIG: SILVER).
The third stream is related to experimental innovation with the goal of producing socio-economic impact. I have led studies on manufacturing reshoring that resulted in specific policy implementations by the Emilia-Romagna Region—a rare example of action research with concrete, measurable outcomes. Several studies stem from innovation experiments implemented by companies, institutions, and healthcare organizations. More recently, I have been involved in the co-design of the Bologna Recovery College, in collaboration with the Mental Health Department of the Bologna Local Health Authority (ASL), the Metropolitan City, associations, and local practitioners. My scientific work has been published in top-ranked journals in various fields of management engineering, including Research Policy (AIIG: GOLD-STAR) and Computers and Operations Research (AIIG: GOLD), demonstrating my consistent commitment to combining methodological rigor with practical relevance.
Overall, my scientific contributions reflect an approach that goes beyond analyzing innovation, actively designing its methods, tools, and contexts—with internationally recognized impact in both academic and institutional communities.
