Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei (FEEM)
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The Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei (FEEM) is a non profit, non partisan research institution carrying out research activities to promote sustainable development. The Fondazione was officially recognised by the President of the Italian Republic in 1989 and formally established in 1990.
[edit] Overview
The studies and researches of the Fondazione have received international recognition by the scientific community, as shown by the number of international research networks in which the Fondazione participates, by the numerous research projects successfully completed by FEEM researchers and by the publication of FEEM research outputs in top journals and high quality books.
Currently the research activities of the Fondazione are structured around seven research programmes, co-ordinated by leading scholars in each field:
- Climate Change Modelling and Policy
- Natural Resources Management
- Knowledge, Technology and Human Capital
- International Energy Markets
- Sustainability Indicators and Environmental Valuation
- Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainable Management
- Privatisation, Regulation, Corporate Governance
FEEM staff is composed of senior fellows, resident scholars, research assistants, and associates, as well as a host of visiting scholars and Ph. D. students from the academia and the policy community.
Research results are disseminated through the web site, the publication of books, workshops and working papers and numerous seminars, which have been attended by the best world scholars working on sustainable development.
The Fondazione has its headquarters in Milan, and other offices in Venice, Turin, Genoa and Rome. Culture Factories reserved to university students are present in each location. The Culture Factories aim at fostering aggregation and cultural exchanges among university students, and organise cultural events on a variety of topics, languages and computer training courses, seminars and contests on different themes.
The Fondazione also organises and manages Masters, Summer Schools and Scholarships in cooperation with other research institutions, professional organisations and universities.
[edit] FEEM Publications
At present the Fondazione has two Editorial Series:
- Edward Elgar Publishing/FEEM Series on “Economics, the Environment and Sustainable Development”. Editorial Board: Kenneth Arrow, William Baumol, Partha Dasgupta, Karl-Göran Mäler, Ignazio Musu, Henry Tulkens, Carlo Carraro (Series Editor)
- Il Mulino/FEEM Series on “Ambiente e Sviluppo” (Environment and Development). Editorial Board: Anil Markandya, Bernardo Bortolotti, Carlo Carraro, Marzio Galeotti, Carlo Giupponi, Matteo Manera, Gianmarco I.P. Ottaviano, Giulio Sapelli, Alessandro Lanza (Series Editor).
FEEM issues a Publications Catalogue organised in information sheets containing the publication details and abstracts of all of its books. The Publications Catalogue is updated with new book information sheets on a yearly basis.
FEEM circulates a series of Working Papers in English (FEEM Note di Lavoro) collecting the output of research in the field of economics, energy and the environment, and the presentations made at international workshops and congresses. The papers are classified in series which reflect FEEM’s main research areas.
FEEM Note di Lavoro are highly international in scope, and publication in the FEEM working paper series is conditional on approval of the series editor, a process which guarantees the quality of the papers. The target readership of FEEM Note di Lavoro is strictly academic, and their scientific value is internationally acknowledged by the growing number of submissions and by the number of papers that are later accepted for publication in high-ranking journals and books.
FEEM Note di Lavoro are currently included in the Economics Research Institutes Paper Series of SSRN, Econlit, AgEcon, RePEc and in Berkeley University Press.
FEEM also circulates a series of working papers in Italian (FEEM Rapporti sullo sviluppo sostenibile) focused on the issue of sustainable development. The target readership of the series is the general public, and the papers are therefore non technical. FEEM Rapporti sullo sviluppo sostenibile include interesting papers reporting the work carried out by FEEM researchers in cooperation with local authorities and institutions.
Both FEEM Note di Lavoro and Rapporti sullo sviluppo sostenibile are downloadable from the web site www.feem.it.
In 1997 FEEM started a cooperation with the publisher “Il Mulino” for the publication of the journal “Equilibri”, which is published in Italian and deals with sustainable development. “Equilibri” is published three times a year.
[edit] FEEM Culture Factories
The Culture Factory project started in January 2004 with the idea of preparing university students to the challenges posed by an enlarged Europe.
The five Culture Factories, situated in Milan, Genoa, Turin, Venice and Rome, have become centres of European culture, hubs for young people from all over Europe and information exchange points. The objectives are: adding value to diversity, removing real and mental barriers, disseminating a global culture by encouraging young people to mobility and arousing curiosity for different countries, customs and people, learning languages and using information technology, fostering aggregation and cultural exchanges.
The Culture Factories promote many different projects and initiatives:
- Courses: IT and training courses to obtain a European Computer Driving Licence by in-class courses or e-learning and language classes.
- Europa: meetings devoted to the young people who wish to travel, study, work and live in Europe or who wish to improve their European culture.
- Tutte le Lingue dell'Arte: meetings with representatives of Italian and international culture. The young people become main actors with their comments and questions. The project is based on book presentations, poetry readings, interviews to artists, “art lessons” for young people.
- Confini: cultural events on different themes.
- Mestieri: meetings in which professionals with a particularly original curriculum relate their experience.
- Progetto Scuole: courses on how to use the Internet for study purposes, devoted to junior high school students.
- Seminars and Meetings: on topics of interest to students.
- Contests: Culturexpress, contest for short stories, Coriandoli, contest for poems, The multicultural city, photographic contest.
- Tema: collection of dissertations on Enrico Mattei.
[edit] FEEM Networks
One of the fundamental criteria guiding FEEM activities is the creation and fostering of international research networks. Over the last few years FEEM has contributed to the development and management of several networks.
Among the first established, the Coalition Theory Network (CTN) is an association of eight high level scientific institutions, aimed at the advancement and diffusion of research in the area of coalition formation. The Network, active since 1995, includes: the Center for Operation Research and Econometrics (CORE), the Department of Economics of the University of Warwick, the Équipe Universitaire de Recherche en Économie Quantitative (EUREQua), FEEM, the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (CODE), the Université de Marseille (GREQAM), Vanderbilt University and the University of Maastricht.
The Climate Policy Network (CPN) is an association of research institutions distinguished for its policy focus on climate change issues. The network currently comprises: FEEM, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology – Centre for Energy and Environmental Policy Research (MIT), Resources for the Future (RFF), and the Centre for European Economic Research (ZEW). CPN provides a forum for the policy-oriented discussion of scientific results on future strategies for addressing the problem of climate change in an international context.
The European Climate Forum (ECF), is a platform for joint studies and science-based stakeholder dialogues on climate change. ECF brings together representatives of different parties concerned with the climate problem. The core activity of the Forum is to define and carry out joint studies; these shall provide arguments for long-term climate mitigation and adaptation policies leading ultimately towards a sustainable development path.
The BIOECON stands for Biodiversity and Economics for Conservation. The network is the outgrowth of a project supported by the European Commission which aims to promote theoretic economic research and to sustain bio-diversity conservation policies. Twelve high-level European institutions co-operate in the project. Its aim is the advancement of economics and policy for conservation of biodiversity, both in the EU countries and globally.
MARBEF (Marine Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning) is a Network of Excellence funded by the European Commission, consisting of 83 European marine institutes. It is a platform to integrate and disseminate knowledge and expertise on marine biodiversity, with links to research, industry, stakeholders and the general public. MarBEF supports challenging research on the relationship between biodiversity and the functioning of marine ecosystems. This knowledge will be used to create awareness of the aesthetic, economic and ecological values of marine biodiversity in order to gain support from society to protect and sustain our living marine resources.
[edit] FEEM Conferences, Seminars and Workshops
In association with various academic associations and institutions, the Fondazione jointly or individually organises and participates in a number of major international conferences and seminars.
These activities represent a key instrument of the Fondazione for providing researchers with a stimulating environment and are a vector for the dissemination of the results of their studies.
The success of research activities supported by the Fondazione is partly measured by these events. Meetings also make a significant contribution to enlarging and reinforcing the Fondazione’s network of international connections with other academics and research institutions.
The Fondazione also holds special workshops and seminars for a limited number of participants facilitating more direct interaction and debate on specific subjects.
In particular, these activities serve as review meetings for individuals collaborating in the various research programmes as well as introducing the Fondazione’s researchers and associates to interesting work being carried out elsewhere.
Examples of major international conferences and meetings organised by Fondazione:
- World Congress of Environmental and Resources Economists (1998)
- 17th Annual Congress of the European Economic Association (2002)
- 57th European Meeting of the Econometric Society (2002)
[edit] FEEM Training Programmes
School of Communication and Environmental Management
The School was founded in 2003 by Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei (FEEM) in collaboration with the University of Genoa and with the support of Eni Refining & Marketing Division. It is a place of information exchange, sharing of experience and training for experts in the environmental sector and individuals interested in learning effective communication techniques. It’s focus so far: Communication and information in protected areas, Communication related to the environmental certification, Corporate Social Responsibility, Communication related to the environmental risks, Decision-making process in the environmental field, Sustainable consumption, Communication management during a crisis.
The School exploits the diversities of the participants using an innovative didactical approach, based on a solid theoretical input, but above all on real case studies, and on simulation of real life situations.
Participants thoroughly delve into real cases, and discuss these with the trainers and with the other participants. They present their own cases and simulate possible solutions, implementing what they have learned.
The members of the faculty are both academics who provide the theoretical input on most up-to-date methodologies, and managers of public bodies and companies discussing their real-life experiences.
The courses take place in Genoa, for further information go to: www.feem.it/comunicambiente
Master in Management of Integrated Logistic Systems
The Master in Management of Integrated Logistic Systems has been running in Genoa since 1999, with over 70 participants.
The course is promoted by Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei, Centro Italiano di Eccellenza sulla Logistica Integrata (CIELI) and Genoa University, in collaboration with the Institut International de Management pour la Logistique (IML) - École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne and Eni Divisione Refining & Marketing. It is designed for university graduates with
Master Degree or for Bachelors with the necessary requisites of competence and/or professional experience.
The course is aimed at developing high level skills in the planning and management of logistic systems both on a strategic and operative level, focusing on both theoretical models and professional applications. The programme has two main parts: 600 hours (15 weeks) of classroom activities and 400 hours of work experience in businesses and international establishments.
The participants develop, with an interdisciplinary approach, a thorough knowledge of the technical, economic, normative and managerial components of logistics, and refine their experience in the most advanced methods and tools for the organisation and management of logistic systems.
The teachers are lecturers from Italian and foreign universities, international experts and managers. The lessons are interactive and ensure a balance between theory and practice, alternating frontal lessons to case studies, practice, role-play, testimonials and guided visits to companies.
The employment opportunities offered by the Master are various and not exclusively concentrated in the area of company logistics, where the demand for a specific professional expertise is constantly high.
The Master is in English and is open to a maximum of 25 students. It runs from November to March in Genoa in Villa Candida. Candidates can enrol to the whole course or to single modules.
Admission takes place upon evaluation of the curriculum of the candidates and a panel interview.
For further information and admission, please go to: www.master.logistics.unige.it
EAERE-FEEM-VIU European Summer School in Resource and Environmental Economics
Since 2000 the European Association of Environmental Economists (EAERE), the Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei (FEEM), and the Venice International University (VIU) have been successfully running their European Summer School in Resource and Environmental Economics. The schools aim to provide advanced and top-level training to young researchers from all over Europe and beyond on European issues related to environmental and resource economics through the organisation of a series of summer schools.
The Summer School is addressed to small groups of doctoral students in environmental and resource economics from all over the world. It is designed to last for 6 days and usually includes a mixture of lectures, student presentations, consultation sessions and reading sessions, though there may be other forms of pedagogic activity which are more appropriate for some topics – e.g. worked examples, mini-projects, discussion groups, etc.
The faculty is comprised of leaders in the field, and offers an overall coverage of the specialist area. The specialised topic of the Summer School varies from year to year. The topics reflect issues that are current lively areas of new research and policy interest.
Topics of past and future Summer Schools
- “International Dimension of Environmental Economics” (2000, http://www.feem.it/ess00)
- ”Economic Valuation Methods” (2001, http://www.feem.it/ess01)
- ”Game Theory and the Environment” (2002, http://www.citg.unige.it/www/2002/index.html)
- ”Political Economy of the Environment” (2003, http://www.feem.it/ess03)
- ”Dynamic Models in Economics and the Environment” (2004, http://www.feem.it/ess04)
- ”Welfare Measurement and Cost Benefit Analysis in Dynamic General Equilibrium” (2005, http://www.feem.it/ess05)
- “Computable General Equilibrium Modelling in Environmental and Resource Economics” (2006, http://www.feem.it/ess06)
- “Trade, Property Rights and Biodiversity” (2007, http://www.feem.it/ess07)
- “Space in Unified Models of Economy and Ecology” (2008)
- “Economics, Transport and the Environment” (2009)
The Summer Schools are held in Venice, Italy, on the island of San Servolo. Applications for attending the Summer School are open for students coming from all over the world. Detailed information about applications as well as the application forms are available at the Summer School website, which is accessible from both the FEEM and EAERE websites. The selection criteria are quality and characteristics of applicants’ profile and background, and connection of the applicants’ dissertation topic area with the themes of the individual Summer School.
European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists (EAERE). Permanent Secretariat
The European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists (EAERE) has entrusted FEEM with the task of managing the EAERE Permanent Secretariat as of 2004, for an initial period of 4 years. In this capacity, FEEM coordinates the offices of the Association, is responsible for its administrative management, and looks after the relations with public administrations, European and local institutions, other regional professional associations, and any other institutions.
The link between FEEM and EAERE dates back to the establishment of the Association. FEEM handled the EAERE Secretariat from 1990 to 1997, organised the first Annual Congress in Venice in 1990, and the First World Congress of Environmental and Resource Economists, again in Venice, in 1998.
Since the year 2000, FEEM has been organising the annual EAERE-FEEM-VIU Summer School.
[edit] FEEM Research Programmes
[edit] CLIMATE CHANGE MODELLING AND POLICY
Research in this programme addresses the issue of Climate Change. Climate change is one of the most relevant sustainable development challenges facing the international community. It has implications not only for the health and well-being of the Earth's ecosystems, but also for our economic enterprises and social relationships.
Through its research line on Climate Change Modelling and Policy (CCMP), FEEM aims at furthering our understanding in the field of climate change, giving a contribution based on solid research and shared knowledge in order to meet this critical challenge.
The goal of the research programme is twofold: to make progress at the scientific and academic level, and to be up front in the policy dialogue and debate, which provides the programme team with the necessary inputs to develop innovative and constructive scientific research.
The Programme addresses the socio-economic dimension of climate change, mitigation and adaptation policies. It focuses on a comparative evaluation of existing models and the development of new integrated assessment models for the study of policies aimed at climate change control.
CCMP is one of the most active research lines in FEEM. It participates in international projects funded by the European Commission and other sources, including the National Government and Regional/Local Authorities, Private National Foundations, the European Environment Agency, and the United Nations Environment Programme.
In particular, CCMP is actively involved in the Euro-Mediterranean Centre on Climate Change. The Centre is a new initiative of the Italian Government aimed at furthering knowledge in the field of climatic variability, including causes and consequences, through the development of high-resolution simulations and impact models. CCMP researchers are responsible for the Centre’s investigating the socio-economic dimension of climate change both in terms of impact assessment and of implications for policy design.
[edit] NATURAL RESOURCES MANAGEMENT
Research in this programme addresses the sustainable management of natural resources. In particular the programme focuses on the integration of physical and socio-economic disciplines, in order to provide methods and operational tools to be transferred to, or used in support of decision- and policy makers. To this aim, the core activity of the programme is devoted to the development and implementation of ad-hoc methodologies, with specific focus on modelling and simulation approaches: from participatory modelling and cognitive mapping, to disciplinary simulation models in various fields, such as hydrology, or ecology.
The main scientific challenge approached by the research programme is the development of new methods for participatory management of environmental problems, grounded in the disciplinary fields of economics and environmental sciences, and having system analysis and modelling as a common background.
In this context, the FEEM NRM research programme is involved in several projects seeking to contribute to the development of the kind of knowledge required for the implementation of the principles of sustainable development and improved environmental governance.
In the last years, the geographical area of interest has expanded outside Europe. Specific interest of the research programme is the whole Mediterranean Basin, but recent projects and proposals are also focusing on developing countries, especially on Africa and Asia.
The researchers involved in the programme belong to different backgrounds such as environmental and agricultural sciences, forestry, economics, policy and law. This variety allows to carry on research with a multidisciplinary approach in the implementation of the national and international projects.
Recent projects have dealt with integrated water resources management, integrated coastal zone management, land use change, irrigation management, agro-environmental policies, participatory modelling and decision making processes.
[edit] KNOWLEDGE , TECHNOLOGY and HUMAN CAPITAL
This research programme aims to provide analysis and support to European policy-makers in the transition towards the knowledge-based economy. Over the last years KTHC has accepted the challenge launched by the 2001 European Lisbon Council to make the EU “the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world” and has committed itself to respond to the varying questions posed by the Council. Individual projects have addressed, inter alia, the relationship between European diversity and economic growth; R&D policies; the relationship between the creation of human capital and economic growth, ICT policies and their implications for growth and innovation at local and global level. New databases are constructed to support research and policy analysis. The databases include information on firms and their R&D activities, training of human capital, diversity and growth at the local level.
KTHC is currently focused on four research areas. A first line of research addresses the relationship between sustainable development and cultural diversity as a new feature of the knowledge-based society. A second research line addresses the competitiveness of firms and industries in the knowledge-based economy. A third research line investigates the policies for research and innovation in the move towards the European Research Area. The fourth research line addresses sustainable management of tourism both at European level and at local level. A common feature of all research projects is the international dimension of their partnership.
The KTHC research team holds different competencies and shares enthusiasm in multidisciplinary approaches to research. The focus on the knowledge-based economy fits very well into FEEM’s core mission of carrying out research in the field of sustainable development. With an approach focused on the benefits that diversity may bring in terms of economic performance, KTHC takes the lead of a new way of approaching sustainable development. In addition, the focus on competitiveness at micro-founded firm-based level fills many gaps of current European research.
[edit] INTERNATIONAL ENERGY MARKETS
Research in this programme tackles the issues on energy and its economic, environmental and social implications. On the economic front, new developments are taking place in the areas of market liberalisation, and there is increased private sector participation in the supply of energy services.
The question of increased energy security, and what is a reasonable price to pay for it, is of central importance to the EU. The environmental issues related to energy demand and supply include climate change, the effects on health of burning fossil fuels for electricity generation and energy transport. Policy responses to address climate change, global warming and energy-related pollution will tend to increase the price for energy services, and its consequences on vulnerable groups are major social concerns associated with international energy markets.
The activities of the IEM programme are articulated and diversified. Among them, one project deals primarily with the externalities arising from the extraction and transport of energy. Another one intends to evaluate policy options for improving the efficiency of energy use and to provide a sound comparative cost basis for all EU countries, as well as selected countries outside the EU (China, India, Brazil). Another line of research is divided in three parts and aims at offering a comprehensive survey of the existing literature on forecasting oil prices, validating the forecasting performance of the econometric models analysed, and building a new model for oil forecasts, which encompasses the most popular models available in the economic and econometric literature.
The IEM research programme involves senior and junior researchers. Senior researchers within the IEM programme have generally obtained a doctorate and/or a master from prestigious European and Italian institutions, whereas junior researchers have typically gained a degree from leading Italian universities. One peculiarity of the IEM research team is the sound quantitative background of its members.
[edit] SUSTAINABILITY INDICATORS and ENVIRONMEMNTAL VALUATION
Research in this programme addresses the promotion and the use of an integrated and multidisciplinary approach to the analysis of the issues related to sustainable development and growth, and pays special attention to sustainability indicators and metrics.
The SIEV programme also focuses on methodological questions and applied work in the area of valuation of environmental quality and in estimation of the costs and benefits of environmental policies. It examines and uses a variety of market and non-market valuation techniques.
The programme further studies other areas of environmental economics, including environmental regulation, the use of incentives and taxes in lieu of or to supplement environmental regulations, and urban environmental quality, regeneration and sustainability. In these areas, it explores methodological issues and offers meaningful applications to support decision-making at the local, national and international government levels.
SIEV researchers have different backgrounds, including engineering, economics, and natural sciences. They carry out research activities with a multidisciplinary approach and are involved in specific projects funded by European Commission and local entities and agencies.
Projects currently underway focus on the valuation of the environment-related health impacts, on biodiversity economics and on the valuation of the urban environment, with a particular emphasis on the cultural heritage dimension. Moreover, within the SIEV programme, FEEM is the coordinator of an important European Project “A New Environmental Accounting Framework Using Externality Data and Input-Output Tools for Policy Analysis (EXIOPOL)”, that involves 40 institutions, mainly from Europe but also from developing countries.
[edit] CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY and SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT
Corporate social responsibility was firstly generated as the answer of the corporate world addressed to civil society and governments over its responsibilities on relevant socio-economic and environmental issues.
It was the gradual integration of those variables into corporate decision-making processes, that allowed sustainability to move from a defensive attitude of the core business to become a strategic leverage of competitiveness thanks also to the progressive appreciation of the market, governments and international organisations showed for the “virtuous” companies.
As a consequence of these changes, the CSRSM research programme has undergone a gradual evolution in its theoretical and practical approaches. It involves new actors such as public bodies (local agencies and territorial administrations – e.g. natural parks), non profit organisations (corporate foundations and NGOs) while exploring innovative topics such as the relationship between diversity and CSR policies, ethical pluralism, open decision-making processes, conflict prevention and resolution and sustainable management in territories.
Further, particular efforts have been devoted to the constant update of CSR tools such as sustainability communication and self-regulatory tools and to give voice to decision-makers and relevant stakeholders.
In the current complex environment, CSRSM is mainstreaming CSR research by exploring the complex links between the CSR milieu and sustainability issues, thus contributing to the dissemination of knowledge in this field. CSRSM programme is participating in EU funded projects partnering with European universities and leading research institutes, as well as developing applied research at a national and local level.
[edit] PRIVATISATION, REGULATION, CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
Research in this programme focuses on the different objectives and methods of privatisation, the deep causes of divestiture and the efficiency of newly privatised firms, the new role of the State as a regulator in sectors like public utilities and infrastructures; the corporate governance of firms operating in an environment with an enhanced private sector.
The goals are to identify the political-institutional incentives and constraints affecting privatisation, the interactions between private and public ownership and control of firms; to evaluate the welfare effect of privatisation and regulation policies on consumers, taxpayers and shareholders; to study corporate governance systems in a cross-country perspective.
The "Privatization Barometer - PB" is a joint project with Fondazione IRI that created the first Internet portal dedicated to privatisation processes in the enlarged Europe. The goal of the PB is to provide academics, researchers, financial analysts, institutional investors, international agencies, policy-makers and media operators with a focal point on privatisation issues managed by an independent source and strongly based on research outputs. The site www.privatizationbarometer.net was launched in 2004 and has become the official provider of privatisation data to OECD and the World Bank.
The research programme adopts a multidisciplinary approach, mobilising researchers from economics, finance, political science and legal disciplines.
Privatisation is one of the main events of the economic history of the last decades and had deep impact on the corporate governance of firms. Yet there is limited knowledge about the proper role of the government as shareholder and regulator of firms. Pursuing research in these areas is key to deepen knowledge and improve policy making.
