Profumo: ‘Italia’s ageing population needs a national plan for knowledge’

‘The Drivers of Growth’, a report compiled by Roberto Garofoli at the instigation of ANCI, poses a question to the country: how can we generate growth when the number of young people is falling, the average age is rising and debt is limiting the scope for investment? Human capital is the starting point.

Education, research and innovation must become a unified policy: developing skills, generating knowledge, and transforming it into skilled employment and economic value. We need an ‘Italia Knowledge Plan’, with a timeframe of at least twenty years and a political pact that transcends changes in government. The model to follow is the Ina-Casa Plan promoted by Fanfani: a national objective supported by the joint efforts of the State, employers and workers. Today, we need to mobilise institutions, social partners, universities and foundations around an investment in people, with stable resources, measurable commitments and regular reviews. Welfare must also prevent new forms of vulnerability. In the age of artificial intelligence, lifelong learning must go hand in hand with care and social protection, fostering autonomy before the obsolescence of skills leads to exclusion. Learning must be a lifelong right. The first investment concerns the 0–6 age group: accessible nurseries and pre-schools, with well-trained staff. The Reggio Emilia approach and Loris Malaguzzi’s ‘one hundred languages’ offer a valuable resource: children learn through words, images, gestures, materials and relationships. Nurturing curiosity and imagination means building skills and tackling inequalities at an early stage. With fewer children, the quality of education for each child becomes even more important. This principle must transform schools. A generative approach to teaching, inspired by the Socratic method, teaches children to ask questions, argue, experiment and verify. Subject-specific knowledge forms the foundation of this. Whilst AI multiplies the number of answers, the value of those who know how to ask questions and assess their reliability increases. Teacher training is essential. The machine processes, the teacher interprets, and the relationship educates. Universities and ITS Academy must prepare students for a life of transitions, combining scientific and digital skills with cultural awareness and project management abilities.

Dialogue with businesses must anticipate change without reducing training to mere immediate needs. Flexible learning pathways, recognition of skills and time to keep up to date are the building blocks of ‘Lifelong Educational Welfare’.
Research requires the same continuity: stable funding, autonomy and the freedom to explore, even without immediate applications. For Italia, the European dimension must become part of national policy. We must contribute to common priorities, link Italian universities and institutions to major European infrastructure, and offer researchers laboratories and career paths capable of attracting talent. Participation means sharing scientific responsibilities and bringing expertise and opportunities to our regions. The proposal for a European CERN for artificial intelligence, supported by Giorgio Parisi, points to a method: pooling resources, infrastructure and researchers around a goal that goes beyond the capabilities of individual countries.

This cooperation could also strengthen research into energy, biotechnology and new materials, making the most of existing networks. Italia should play a leading role in these projects. The transition from research to industry must be made a reality. Studying a new material generates knowledge; testing its use in a battery opens up a technological possibility; manufacturing it in a factory at sustainable costs can lead to a product, jobs and new markets. This process is not automatic: it requires testing, prototyping and ongoing collaboration between researchers and businesses. We need shared laboratories and people capable of translating scientific results into usable solutions, accessible even to SMEs. This is how research can revitalise existing businesses and give rise to new ones, thereby boosting productivity. Funding, too, must follow this path. Initially, resources are needed to test an idea and launch a start-up; subsequently, more substantial and patient capital is required to recruit staff, manufacture products and reach international markets. Italian and European funds must support both phases, involving private investors and simplifying access. Supporting the creation of a business is of little use if there is no opportunity for it to grow. Local authorities can facilitate collaboration between research and business and attract talent by providing affordable services and housing. Funding the Plan also requires reviewing ineffective incentives and concentrating resources. Its success will be measured in terms of learning, research, productivity and skilled employment. Twenty years is the span of a generation: providing it with the tools to create prosperity is an economic choice we must make today.

*European Innovation Council