THE PESENTI FOUNDATION SUPPORTS THE “MARIO CAFFI SCHOLARSHIPS” FOR THE BERGAMO 2.035 PROJECT.

Monday, December 4, 2017 – On the occasion of the 16th Rotary Convention at the headquarters of the Rotary Club of Bergamo, three Scholarships have been awarded in memory of Mario Caffi, a great Bergamo business lawyer, Bankruptcy Law professor at the University of Bergamo and a member of the Rotary Club.

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


 
 

The scholarship winners, Francesca Cesarini, Roberto Radaelli and Fabio Rota, and professor Roberto Pinto.

 


 

Present at the ceremony were the three winners, Francesca Cesarini, Roberto Radaelli and Fabio Rota, and Roberto Pinto, a professor at the Dalmine University of Engineering, who presented the Bergamo 2.035 research project the three students will undertake.

 

Bergamo 2.035 | REAL Cities – Smarter Citizens is a multi-annual multidisciplinary research program promoted by the University of Bergamo and the Pesenti Foundation with the scientific collaboration of Harvard University and the partnership of the City of Bergamo.

 

The research project is born from the common will to analyze the main trends and scenarios that will characterize the Smart City model in urban and rural areas over the next few decades, to identify possible solutions to be introduced in the Bergamo area. The project focuses on future citizens, the “smarter citizens” to become active agents of change for the improvement of the urban environment.

 

This year the main research topic is Digital/Physical Retail. The research pursued by the students will investigate the challenges related to the integration of digital technologies with physical spaces in the retail world, exploring both opportunities and repercussions in urban, commercial, and domestic contexts as well as on the experience of users in both tangible and virtual realms. Through a comparative analysis of retail between the United States and Europe with literature reviews, case studies and field investigations, this research aims to study the history of retail, understand current dynamics, and—with a focus on the cities of Boston and Bergamo—ultimately propose innovative solutions at five different scales:

  • In-store retail experience
  • Urban stores and storefronts
  • Domestic “smart” environments
  • Mid-size shopping malls
  • Mobile and hybrid platforms

 

Course main topics

 

– DESIGN RESEARCH: overview of the interplay between design and research. Methods of pursuing novel research through design, and exploring innovative design through research. Examples and case studies from Harvard GSD complement the theoretical approach.

 

– DESIGN THINKING: study of design thinking methodologies, with the application of novel approaches to tackle problems at any scale and in any field. In fact, sometimes problems require new ways of thinking and interdisciplinary mindsets that will challenge conventions. Combining subjective analysis with objective data, reframing of business or design challenges by approaching them from alternative perspectives.

 

– HUMAN-CENTERED DESIGN ED ESPERIENZA UTENTE: principles of user-centered design, with a focus on strategies to evaluate and envision user experiences from the standpoint of different typologies of individuals. Strategies include: user experience scenarios, persona studies, user journey design and simulations, and mockups.

 

– TECNOLOGIE RESPONSIVE: opportunities and repercussions of the integration of new media, sensing and interactive technologies in cities, addressing the subject matters of technological longevity, dynamic adaptation and augmented realities.

 


 

At the conclusion of the ceremony, Francesca Rigamonti Caffi recalled the commitment and dedication of Mario Caffi, after whom the scholarship is named, to the future envisioning trends and developments and above all preparing younger generations to face new challenges.

 


 

Press release