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Il gruppo di ricerca del Dipartimento di Economia e Culture dell'Università degli Studi dell'Insbubria, coordinato dalla Prof.ssa Roberta Minazzi, ha recentemente presentato al convegno Sinergie-SIMA dal titolo “Tertiarization & sustainability. New challenges for management in the digital era” (Genova il 12 e 13 giugno 2025) il paper dal titolo «Rapporto di sostituibilità fra sharing economy accommodation e imprese alberghiere», realizzato nell’ambito del progetto PNRR NODES – Spoke 3 Turismo e Cultura.   Negli ultimi anni, la sharing economy ha assunto un ruolo di rilievo all’interno del sistema turistico tradizionale, modificando le dinamiche competitive e sollevando interrogativi sull’impatto che gli alloggi in affitto a breve termine esercitano sulle strutture alberghiere e sulla destinazione nel suo complesso.   Lo studio si concentra sull’area del Lago di Como, territorio che ha registrato una crescita significativa di strutture ricettive gestite secondo modelli di sharing economy. Attraverso un’indagine basata su questionari somministrati a un campione di 104 turisti, la ricerca ha evidenziato la presenza di un effetto di sostituzione limitato principalmente alle strutture alberghiere di fascia medio-bassa.   Tra i fattori che spingono i viaggiatori a preferire gli affitti a breve termine emergono la maggiore convenienza economica e la posizione strategica delle soluzioni disponibili, elementi che suggeriscono la necessità, per alcune imprese alberghiere, di ripensare strategie di differenziazione e posizionamento sul mercato.   Questo contributo si inserisce nelle attività di ricerca promosse dallo Spoke 3 Industria del Turismo e Cultura del progetto PNRR NODES, con l’obiettivo di fornire analisi e strumenti utili per supportare lo sviluppo sostenibile e competitivo del settore turistico italiano.

Il 27 e 28 maggio 2025, presso il Politecnico di Torino si sono tenuti i NODES’ Tech Sharing Days, due giorni interamente dedicati all’innovazione sostenibile e al trasferimento tecnologico, dove la ricerca accademica incontra il mondo delle imprese e genera nuove opportunità per il Nord Ovest.   Nel corso della seconda giornata sono stati protagonisti 30 Proof of Concept (PoC) Accademici, sviluppati all’interno del progetto NODES – Nord Ovest Digitale e Sostenibile, e finanziati dal Ministero dell’Università e della Ricerca attraverso i fondi PNRR – NextGenerationEU.   Lo Spoke 3 era presente con 8 progetti dedicati al settore del turismo e della Cultura; l'Università degli Studi dell'Insubria, l'Università della Valle D'Aosta, l'Università degli Studi di Torino e l'Università del Piemonte Orientale hanno avuto l'opportunità di presentare i loro POC di fronte ad una vasta platea composta da imprese, professionisti del settore e ricercatori.   Infine, i team dello Spoke 3 hanno avuto a disposizione una grande area espositiva allestita nel cortile del Politecnico, dove hanno potuto mostrare materiali, risultati e confrontarsi direttamente con investitori, stakeholder e imprese. I presenti hanno avuto inoltre la possibilità di fare delle esperienze immersive mediante l'utilizzo di visori 3D.  

Students do business. The final presentations of the NODES project of the Challenge took place on May 23, featuring students from the GEEM (IBE) and CLEDIFI (FIMIF-FIMEDIS) Master's Degree courses in Economics at the University of Insubria.   The objective of the project, coordinated by Professor Rossella Locatelli and Professor Alessia Pisoni, was twofold:   - Allow students to work with local businesses on the topics of innovation and sustainability - Experiment with educational collaboration between students from Master's Degree courses characterized by different educational objectives   The students presented in-depth market analyses to the company Novello Case - bioedilizia3, supported by detailed financial assessments developed during the last semester, proposing innovative strategies in response to the company's strategic and financial needs.  

From May 19, 2025 to June 19, 2025, the experience “Alla Volta di Como” will be active, the urban game developed by the students of the Scuola Specializzata Superiore d’Arte Applicata of Lugano and the students of the Master’s Degree in Hospitality for Sustainable Tourism Development of the University of Insubria, supported by Spoke 3 (Nord Ovest Digitale e Sostenibile) of the NODES project.   The game, available in Italian and English and completely free, will offer a treasure hunt to discover the cultural heritage of the city of Como, among curious details and hidden itineraries, riddles and prizes; five stages, a city to discover and historical figures ready to challenge you with questions and stories to be experienced.   A special frog and five historical figures in augmented reality will guide you, for a fun and dynamic experience.   The activity is open to everyone.   Find out how to participate by scanning the QR code on the poster!

On March 31, 2025, the event "Tourism and culture: innovation for the North West" was held at the University of Turin, a partner of Spoke 3 - Tourism Industry and Culture, organized as part of the Primavera Nodes Roadshow initiative.   During the event, several companies operating in the North West took part and were able to win funds from the cascade calls.   Thanks to the funds received, companies were able to start interesting industrial research and experimental development projects that were presented during the day. Prototypes of applications to be used in the field of tourism, culture but also sustainable fashion captured the attention of those present, who asked several questions to the company representatives.   Finally, Prof. Piercarlo Rossi of the University of Turin and Prof. Stefania Cerutti of the University of Eastern Piedmont presented the results obtained to date with the two flagship projects CIRIL and TOEP.    

On Wednesday 26 March, the podcast: Tourism, between precariousness and precariousness was presented at the Aula Magna Campus SAA of the University of Turin.   The event, full of ideas for professionals in the sector, was introduced by Davide Caregnato, Director of the SAA, by Marcella Costa, Director of the Department of Foreign Languages ​​and Literatures and Modern Cultures, and by Rossi Piercarlo, full professor of Administrative Law and Flagship Manager of the NODES - Digital and Sustainable North West project.   Tourism is one of the strategic sectors of our country system. It is in good health, but continues to show strong structural criticalities: in Italy it is still dominated by individual businesses, often undercapitalized and far from managerial management. A fragility that, also due to the seasonality of the offer, negatively influences the professional choices of the new generations, increasingly oriented to consider tourism as a transitory occupation.   These are some of the topics covered in the new podcast by Filippo Monge, professor of Business Economics and Management and Innovation Economics at the University of Turin, as well as director of the SAA-COREP masters dedicated to the management of territorial systems and sustainable agriculture.   The podcast is the result of two years of research in Italy and abroad, with primary data taken from financial and social security databases. The text was written in collaboration with Paolo Gerbaldo, tourism historian, and Robin Vanzolini, researcher. The direction is by Massimo Pasquale, in the studios of Radio 110 – the Web Radio of the University of Turin.   In the classroom and online, over 250 participants including students, professionals and stakeholders in the sector. Guests included: – Federico De Giuli, top manager and former president of the Tourism Group of the Industrial Union of Turin – Riccardo Staglianò, journalist and author of the book “Hanno vincere i ricco” (Einaudi, 2024), presented during the meeting – Marco Novarese, economist at the University of Eastern Piedmont, who enriched the discussion with interesting suggestions on research.   A necessary dialogue to understand the transformations of the tourism sector and enhance the role of training and innovation.  

  In recent days, a group of students from the IBE and FIMIF-FIMEDIS Master's Degree courses in Economics at the University of Insubria had the opportunity to visit the company Novello Case srl in Oggiona con Santo Stefano (VA) as part of the Challenges of the Nodes project.   The aim of the visit was to experiment with collaboration between students from Master's Degree courses characterized by different educational objectives, offering them the opportunity to interact with local business realities and work together on topics of innovation and sustainability.   The contamination of ideas between students with different backgrounds, and between the academic world and business are essential to enhance the talent of young people.

On Friday 4 April from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm at the Novara Castle there will be an event branded Geonight 2025 entitled: “Landscapes. Reality, impression, symbol”.   Landscape is undoubtedly a key theme of geography, full of meaning and constantly reinvented. It reflects and stimulates dialogue on urgent issues such as climate change, sustainability and our relationship with nature, which are open fields for today's geographies.   The Geonight 2025 event will see the students of the University of Eastern Piedmont of the Challenge PNRR NODES Spoke 3 participate in a guided and animated tour of the exhibition “Landscapes. Reality, impression, symbol”.   It will allow them to move critically and creatively from the world of art to that of cultural and tourism planning, outlining its role as a lever for sustainable development and a common future. This first-hand experience will also allow them to understand the importance of making ancient and historic containers, such as the castle, a living and open heritage.   The visit will be held in collaboration with METS Percorsi d'Arte and its president Dr. Paolo Tacchini.  

Throughout the development process of the NODES project, many companies have approached the project, participating in events, training courses, challenges and other initiatives. A significant number of them have also benefited from the funds deriving from the cascade calls, for the development of innovative projects.   Spoke 3 provides, during the last phase of the project, a service that all NODES stakeholders can access, namely a help desk activated to explore opportunities at national and European level that allow companies to continue what they have undertaken in recent years or to realise what they have imagined but not yet implemented.   The help desk will operate in virtual mode, thanks to the collaboration between the Spoke 3 group of the University of Eastern Piedmont, led by Professor Stefania Cerutti, and the company Novareckon SrL, specialized in the programming of European funds.   Office opening hours: 03/24/2025 to 05/30/2025 Registration deadline: 05/23/2025 For information and registrations write to info@novareckon.it

Spoke 3 - Tourism Industry and Culture participated in the 45th edition of BIT - International Tourism Exchange, attracting great interest among visitors.   During the three days of the fair, researchers and professors from the University of Insubria, the University of Turin, the University of Eastern Piedmont and the University of Valle D'Aosta took turns, who had the task of illustrating to visitors prototypes and innovative research materials in the field of tourism and culture.   At the Spoke 3 stand, it was possible to view several projects that, thanks to the use of augmented reality, will be able to promote tourism and culture in the North West.   The use of new technologies has encouraged the study and development of new applications specifically designed for the construction of itineraries to discover the beauty of the area or to take virtual trips inside museums.   The presence of Spoke 3 at the International Tourism Exchange was preparatory to create new contacts with exhibitors and visitors who welcomed the Nodes project and the positive effects it will have on the territory in terms of valorization and promotion of tourism and culture.  

From Sunday 9 February to Tuesday 11 February 2025, Rho - Milano Fiera hosts the 45th edition of BIT - Borsa Internazionale del Turismo, one of the most important Italian events dedicated to Tourism.   Spoke 3 - Tourism Industry and Culture participates in this edition by promoting research and innovation of the ecosystem and the University of Insubria, giving visibility to innovative projects in the field of tourism and culture in order to create new synergies with exhibitors and visitors interested in the enhancement and promotion of tourism and culture; factors widely present in the North West through the use of new technologies.   At booth H07 - Hall 9, NODES Spoke 3 will present innovative prototypes and research materials, showcasing NODES projects including the flagship projects TOEP (Tourism Open-ended Experimentation Platform) and CIRIL (CULTURAL-INDUSTRY REGENERATION IMMERSIVE LAB) and academic POCs in the field of Tourism and Culture. Academic POCs include: DIGITALMM (Digital Muse for Museums), PLANET (Planner Leisure App for Natural & Experiential Tourism), AIACE (Artificial Intelligence Assistant for Cultural Tourism Enhancement), HISTORYGRAPHIA, ITM (Immersive textile museum), CERR (Cultural Extended Reality Routes).   Finally, some researchers will be present to illustrate their innovations to the public; Among them there will be some representatives of the University of Insubria, the University of Turin, the University of Eastern Piedmont and the University of Valle D'Aosta.  

On January 23 and 24, the ninth edition of the Business Systems Laboratory International Symposium was held in Varese, at the University of Insubria, entitled Technology and society: Boon or Bane?   The focus of the conference was to highlight how technology has unequivocally transformed the dynamics of interactions, lifestyles, work environments, social relationships and business operations. Playing a fundamental role in society, technology continues to evolve, promising new advances that will reshape our lives and professional scenarios.   The event, organized by Prof. Patrizia Gazzola (University of Insubria) and Prof. Gandolfo Dominici (Business Systems Laboratory and University of Palermo), with the collaboration of Drs. Stefano Amelio, Daniele Grechi, Iulia Iliashenko and Francesco Gentile; brought together international experts to reflect on the role of technology in society, between progress and complexity, offering crucial insights for European and global policies.   Among the most significant moments, the speech by Prof. Eka Sapashvili (Tbilisi State University, Georgian Parliament), who presented the research "The Current Global Migration and Technological Challenges: Advantages or Threat to the European Union Social Security". The study analyzes global migratory phenomena and their demographic impact in the EU, exploring the technological and social security implications through the SDGs. An innovative perspective that highlights challenges and opportunities for the future of Europe.  

On December 3, 2024, the event organized by ComoNext Innovation Hub, partner of Spoke 3, was held at Villa del Grumello (CO): "Artificial Intelligence in the Textile Sector – Human in the Loop or Changing the Loop?".   The event explored the revolutionary role of frontier technologies, with particular attention to generative artificial intelligence in the transformation of the textile sector.   The speakers accompanied the participants in the issues related to the digitalization of production processes, corporate sustainability and innovation in design, highlighting in particular how Artificial Intelligence contributes to optimizing efficiency and reducing waste.   The intervention of the Galli Academy highlighted the importance of artistic and technological training to preserve and enhance cultural heritage. The historical movements that reacted to industrialization, promoting craftsmanship and innovation, were taken into consideration, and the need to transform industrial and artistic archives into cultural resources was underlined. The integration of tradition and artificial intelligence emerges as a lever for innovative and cultural change.   PA Expertise illustrated a practical application of artificial intelligence in the sector, connected to the intelligent management of product archives and the generation of new drawings already in report in a few minutes (starting from the interpretation of existing details, such as texts and/or images), all supported by computer vision and generative AI modules.   Finally, Legnani Legal introduced the importance of a Governance, Risk & Compliance approach to manage the risks associated with the introduction of disruptive technologies, ensuring a harmonious and sustainable digital transformation.

On November 13, 2024, the event "Tourism and culture: innovation for the South" was held at the University of Sannio, a partner of Spoke 3 - Tourism and Culture Industry, organized as part of the Roadshow Mezzogiorno initiative.   During the day, Dr. Marco Biolatti of the University of Turin and Prof. Stefania Cerutti of the University of Eastern Piedmont showed those present the results obtained to date with the two flagship projects CIRIL and TOEP; projects aimed at enhancing the territory and culture thanks to the use of new technologies.   The main protagonists of the event were the companies operating in southern Italy, which had the opportunity to win funds from the cascade calls through which they were able to start interesting industrial research and experimental development projects. The companies presented their progress, showed some prototypes and explained to those present how new technologies are revolutionizing the tourism and culture sector in the South but also the Made in Italy sector. Interesting and noteworthy are the applications proposed for conscious tourism and for the protection of Made in Italy and the recognition of counterfeit items. The companies also had the opportunity to discuss and network with each other   At the end of the meeting there was an interesting round table that allowed researchers and companies to discuss what has been done so far and possible actions to take in the future.

The usual appointment with the Researchers' Night 2024 was held on Friday 27 September 2024 and the University of Insubria, leader of Spoke 3, in collaboration with Confindustria Varese and the City of Busto Arsizio organized a conference entitled: "The textile industry and its culture between past and future". The event, which was held in the conference room of the Textile Museum of Busto Arsizio, brought together researchers and entrepreneurs in the textile field who had the opportunity to discuss the future of this important reality thanks to the use of new technologies aimed at sustainability. Historical, economic and cultural interventions captured the attention of those present; at the end of the conference it was also possible to take a guided tour to discover the museum and its important collection. Numerous initiatives were organized by the other partner universities as part of Spoke 3; the University of Valle d'Aosta and the University of Eastern Piedmont have put their expertise to work by proposing conferences and meetings of various kinds. For example, as regards Valle D'Aosta, the day was characterized by dissemination activities, moments of thematic study and spaces for discussion between researchers and the public, divided into various activities and thematic tables. One of the main tables concerned the Flagship Project TOEP and Spoke 3 NODES, with particular attention to the Lower Valle d'Aosta. In this section, contents and results resulting from the advancement of research within TOEP were presented, with specific attention to the local context. The table proposed prize questionnaires, explanatory slides and paper materials for the presentation of the territory, involving the 80 participants in four rounds of dynamic and interactive presentations. The sessions were led by professors Raimondi, Pioletti and Dr. Favro, who involved the audience with quizzes on the Mentimeter platform, dedicated to various topics related to the Aosta Valley region, such as linguistic aspects, natural and cultural heritage, historical and industrial issues, and local events. The material produced for the event saw the active collaboration of Dr. Pons, Dr. Perri and Dr. Bernabei, who contributed to the development of the contents. A second table, dedicated to Big Data and Artificial Intelligence, allowed us to explore the applications and perspectives of these themes in the context of the TOEP - Spoke 3 NODES project. Prof. Nava, with the collaboration of Dr. Tedeschi, currently visiting abroad, led the two presentation rounds that involved a total of 70 participants. During the sessions, the possible applications of artificial intelligence in ongoing research projects were illustrated, and the activities concluded with an interactive quiz created on the Qualtrics platform, in which visitors actively participated. The University of Eastern Piedmont in Alessandria presented the TOEP project dedicated to encouraging tourism through a user-friendly, responsive app that can exploit user preferences to suggest new experiences through a sophisticated recommendation system based on artificial intelligence. The people present were also able to view the prototype in an advanced state.