PRIN 2022

Algorithms and Economic Choices 

Head: Emilio Calvano 

In the modern economy, consumption and other important economic choices are increasingly shaped by algorithms powered by artificial intelligence (AI). Despite their importance, relatively little is known about the economic effects of these algorithms, their normative desirability and any consequent economic policy prescriptions. This research is based on two interlinked project components both studying the economic consequences of deploying popular classes of AI-powered algorithms. 

Asymmetric Information And Limited Commitment In Financial Markets: Macroeconomic Effects And Policy Implication

Head: Reichlin Pietro

The main goal of the project is to study the impact of financial frictions on economic performance, with a special focus on asymmetric information and limited commitment. We believe that these issues play a decisive role if we want to understand business cycles, the allocation of risk and resources across households and the right fiscal and monetary policies that should be implemented to improve social welfare. 

Banks, Infrastructures and Global Value Chains

Head: Pierluigi Murro

Since the middle of the 1990s, productivity growth in Italy has been substantially lower than in other developed countries. This trend is particularly worrisome not only because productivity lies at the heart of long-term growth, but also because it is key to Italy’s ability to sustain its debt. New opportunities for productivity growth can come from firms’ participation in global value chains (GVCs), which are becoming an increasingly important feature of the world economy. The aim of this project is to shed light on the factors promoting or hampering the participation of Italian firms in GVCs, by focusing on the role played by banks, material and technological infrastructures.

BORDERLINE - The Hybridization of the fight against crime through non-criminal or borderline measures: principles, rules, limits and opportunities for an integrated system

Head: Antonino Gullo 

The research project BORDERLINE focuses on the study of crime-fighting measures, on the basis of three interrelated lines of investigation, categorised according to the ultimate purposes of the measures under investigation (integration/strengthening, replacement or prevention of the use of criminal law). The research aims at carrying out a systematic and comprehensive review of the various existing measures, trying to restore "order" in a grid of provisions belonging to many sanction systems. The ultimate aim of the project is, on the one hand, to address the basic issues – especially in terms of legal nature and corresponding regulatory framework – that remain unanswered in the various sectors, and, on the other hand, to carry out a cost-benefit analysis of the use of these instruments in the fight against crime.

CHROWSEL - CHROnically ill Workers Sustainable Employment across the Lifespan

Head: Silvia Dello Russo

Chronically ill employees (CIEs) have largely been neglected in management practice and research (Beatty, 2012). To fill this gap, the project focuses on this often-invisible group of vulnerable employees to identify workplace interventions that foster CIEs sustainable employment across the lifespan. The goal of the survey, conducted in multiple organizations, is identifying factors (among work design characteristics, leadership styles, interpersonal relationships with colleagues, and HR practices) acting as either (or both) enablers and barriers to sustainable employment of CIEs of different ages.

Contentious politics in pandemic times. Analysing protests in Italy, 2020-2023

Head: Emiliana De Blasio 

The research project focuses on contentious politics in pandemic times defined as times of emergencies. More specifically, the project aims to anlayze 1) the repertoire of contention – that is at non-institutional forms of participation addressing government policy – during and after the peaks of contagion in the Covid19 crisis in four Italian regions chosen in order to cover different territorial subculture and to include some main metropolitan areas; 2) contentious politics online.

D.E.W.E.Y. DEmocracy, sustainability and WEllbeing in Times of EmergencY. Reframing political concepts and institutions

Head: Valentina Gentile 

The project addresses the changing relationship between the welfare state and democracy in light of overlapping emergencies, linked with the crisis of administrative apparatuses, the augmenting of social pathologies and the shortfall of political legitimacy. The increasing distance between representative institutions and society, the growth of nationalist movements and populist ideologies - that stems from the general subversion of previous ideological frameworks, social imaginaries and forms of life - challenge the foundations of representative systems.

EXPAND - Scalable algorithms for EXPloratory Analyses of heterogeneous and dynamic Networked Data

Head: Francesco Giuseppe Italiano 

Many of today’s applications are based on networks, either explicitly represented or implicitly defined by the linked nature of the data. These networks are usually heterogeneous, with feature-rich nodes and edges, and dynamic, evolving over time at high rates. The  goal of EXPAND is to produce novel powerful algorithmic tools to handle complex network analytics, providing scientific groundwork and technological advances for processing and visualizing networked data. The project will investigate novel algorithmic techniques and will apply them especially to the domain of biological networks. A particular emphasis will be given to visualization tools, which are crucial for exploratory analyses that allow the user to assess the multitude of patterns and trends appearing in multi-faceted datasets. 

FARE - Firmware Analysis for vulneRability dEtection

Head: Emilio Coppa 

The diffusion of embedded devices in many aspects of everyday life causes the presence of billions of devices around the globe. All these devices are susceptible to vulnerabilities in their “firmware”, the software running on the embedded systems. The consequences of the compromises of such systems will weaken the privacy and security of end-users. The FARE project, "Firmware Analysis for vulneRability dEtection", will be a test bench for security analytics platforms, with the following objectives: 1) Building a collection of real-world firmware, analyzing their execution context and the possibilities for improvement of emulation platforms capable of running such software; 2) Devising static analysis techniques able to identify portions of code which may contain vulnerabilities in the software; 3) Validating whether a security issue relating to a portion of code is indeed a security flaw.

FinPA - Public Administration in the Sign of Finance: How the Public Financial Rules Shape the National and EU Administrative Systems

Head: Bernardo Giorgio Mattarella

The main objective of the project FinPa, "Public Administration in the Sign of Finance", is to analyze how the growing increase of public finance law affected - and currently affects - the configuration of contemporary administrative systems, by shaping their characteristics on the basis of technical needs, not always representative of general public interests. The scientific initiatives organized by the FinPA Observatory, established as part of the project, aim to assess whether the influences of finance law have contributed to an improvement in the administrative system or, on the contrary, have produced negative and dysfunctional effects.

Impact of the Human Activities on the Environment and Economic Decision Making in a Heterogeneous Setting: Mathematical Models and Policy Implication

Head: Fausto Gozzi

The impact of economic activities on the environment and, consequently, on human well-being, has increased dramatically in the last century. Scientific assessments show that the current growth trajectory is unsustainable: likely, we are transgressing more than one of Earth’s planetary boundaries and approaching an environmental crisis.  It is clear that pollution and changes in land use, the main causes of the above phenomena, are strictly related to Economic Decision Making at all levels (families, cities, countries, international agreements, etc.). It is also clear that these relations are complex and difficult to disentangle. Hence, coping with them seems to be one of the biggest challenges for humanity in the near future. The goal of this interdisciplinary (Mathematics and Economics) project is to propose, develop and simulate a class of mathematical models that can help to shed light on the mechanisms of such relations and provide support to the policy makers. 

INFONET - Information Diffusion, Networks and Polarization

Head: Giovanni Ponti

In this project, the study of the  dynamics of information diffusion (with specific reference to social networks and the Digital Society) will still use the fake news phenomenon as a motivating main example, that is, fabricated information that mimics news media content in form but not in organizational process or intent. The project is developed around the following research cores: 1) Who are the people more susceptible to misinformatio; 2) What are the most effective policies to mitigate the fake-news phenomenon; 3) Why do people lie to others? 4) What are the determinants of public disagreement and polarization.  

INNODATA - Digital INNOvation: an assessment of the relationship between DATA and other intangible assets and productivity

Head: Maria Savona

INNODATA is a novel, high-profile research project on the linkage between innovative intangibles and productivity in the digital economy. The root causes of the widespread decline in productivity growth rate are complex and related to several factors: deindustrialization, technological transformations, rising market concentration, the widening gap between the frontier and laggard firms, and diminishing returns to R&D. The global pandemic and the ensuing recession are expected to exacerbate productivity slowdown, and firms might try to cope by innovating, i.e. investing in new technologies and products. Against this backdrop, the project aims to unpack the links between data and other intangible investments and the poor productivity performance of firms and countries in the EU.

Intangible assets and asymmetries in European value chains: the position of Italian firms and sectors

Head: Valentina Meliciani

The project contributes to our understanding of how knowledge-based assets – such as patents and intangible assets – shape the distribution of value added, wages and employment along the global value chains in Europe (EUVCs). In particular the project is the first endeavor to provide large-scale evidence of how such knowledge assets are concentrated along the EUVCs and the extent to which stark asymmetries still persist in Europe. In this framework it investigates the specific positioning of Italian firms in the EUVC. Furthermore, the project provides a new conceptual framework to understand such asymmetries in terms of functional specialization, distinguishing among different intangible assets.

Language in Entrepreneurial Ventures

Head: Federica Brunetta 

Language influences the way we think, act and perceive the world, with relevant implications for organizational dynamics. Therefore, this research project aims to understand the direct influence of language (i.e., language choices, language-structures and frames) on different organizational activities in entrepreneurial ventures, and how this influence unfolds in both physical and digitally-mediated settings. This project contributes to better understand: 1) how organizations can embrace digital transformation by exploiting language as a tool to render digitally-mediated communication flows and activities more effective; 2) how to promote innovation activities by reducing language barriers and easing interactions among organizational members, thus fostering firm’s creativity and internationalization.

Learning in Markets and Society

Head: Marco Scarsini 

Algorithmic and machine learning methods are at the core of the mechanisms that are revolutionizing the way people interact with digital markets and society. The goal of "Learning in Markets and Society" is the design of principled methods for algorithmic decision-making in digital markets and online social environments that are simple, fair, and robust. To achieve this goal, the project intends to integrate fairness and transparency requirements in the design of mechanisms and machine learning algorithms. Adavancing the state-of-the-art in algorithmic decision-making for markets and society uses novel approaches that combine tools from the areas of online learning, regret minimization, algorithmic approximation, and game theory. 

LET IN Law. Liberal Arts and Digital Arts: Towards Inclusive Education and Training in Law

Head: Antonio Punzi 

The research project draws from the existing debate on the reform of law studies and aims to reflect on the most effective methodologies for the teaching of law, moving within the theoretical framework of a new "technological humanism" and having in mind the destination of educational activities to the generations of digital natives. This constitutes the premise for a reflection by the research team on the possible integration of methodologies, techniques and contexts in the jurist's training process. 

Liberal politics and nature. Democratic decisions about animals, plants and climate change

Head: Gianfranco Pellegrino 

The project  "Liberal politics and nature" aims to show that environmental policies can be legitimate and meet the requirements set in a plausible revision of public reasons democratic legitimacy (PRDL). Reasons derived from theories in natural sciences concerning the welfare of animals, the interests of plants and eco-systems, as well as the impact of climate change on the welfare and interests of future people can be public reasons, and they can justify laws setting constraints on present citizens’ liberties.

Made in Italy and sustainable development: A multidisciplinary project for showing the determining role of luxury and aesthetic

Head: Matteo De Angelis 

This project investigates the role of different luxury consumption approaches by focusing on two industries that are strongly relevant for Italy: fashion and tourism. Through behavioral experiments, involving neuroscience, this project advances the idea that internalized luxury consumption is more relevant than externalized luxury consumption in enhancing consumers’ psychological and physical wellbeing and, thus, in triggering sustainable behaviors. The project analyzes the phenomenon of internalized (vs. externalized) luxury considering the demand perspective, thus through experiments conducted with consumers. The project shows how beauty may positively impact people’s health and stimulate sustainable behaviors and how such influence also depends on consumers’ luxury approach (internalized vs. externalized).

MiReIL - Migration and Religion in International Law

Head: Francesco Cherubini

In a globalised world, international norms are key to address the interaction between migration and religion. By combining international law perspective with other – legal, political, and economic – disciplinary standpoints, the project MiReIL contributes to understand the underlying dynamics of this interaction and to concretely address daily social problems. The complexity of this multi-dimensional project requires a research team made up of four Universities with longstanding relationships (Trieste; Bologna; La Sapienza; LUISS), ad hoc new staff and a work programme that includes different layers of investigation.

Monitoring Risks in Financial Market

Head: Paolo Santucci De Magistris

The project develops new econometric methodologies and models to understand and monitor the interplay between liquidity, asset prices volatilities and covolatilities, with the goal of identifying early signals about incoming risks that can arm the financial system as a whole. The project moves beyond the standard approach of analysing liquidity and volatilities in a univariate setup. The proposal points to methodological and modelling contributions that have implications for policy makers and financial markets operators.

NEWCOMING - New Conflicts' Mapping in the age of Globalization

Head: Vincenzo Emanuele 

In recent times, the study of cleavages and their politicization has prompted renewed scholarly attention in comparative politics. While some authors have discussed the decline of traditional Rokkanian cleavages, others have emphasized the emergence of a new overarching cleavage, pitting against each other winners and losers of globalization. However, the idea that, in 21st century Western Europe, society and politics can still be crossed by a generalized, overarching division between winners and losers seems too simplistic and unrealistic. Within this conceptual framework, NEWCOMING aims at better identifying the multifaceted framework of new conflicts emerging in the age of globalization, the groups emerging from such conflicts, the trajectories of their political mobilization, and the impact of these processes on democracy.

NextGraal - Next-generation algorithms for constrained GRAph visuALization

Head: Irene Finocchi 

Graph-based models are pervasive in many fields of science and technology and their visualization plays a crucial role in the analysis and exploration of complex datasets. In this scenario, graph drawing is a key research area whose ultimate goal is to construct valuable visualizations of graphs and networks. Despite a great effort over the last thirty years, the problem of computing effective visualizations remains a largely elusive and pressing one. The objective of project NextGRAAL is to develop new algorithmic results and novel visualization paradigms that will provide the scientific groundwork for the next generation of software and tools, which will be able to efficiently compute high-quality graph visualizations with application-driven constraints of various kinds.

Organizing for resiliance: how do networks and firm face adversities?

Head: Daniele Mascia 

The objectives that the project “Organizing for resiliance: how do networks and firm face adversities?” aims to achieve are associated with improving the current understanding of resilience, which is a context-dependent, multi-level concept. Therefore, the research project focuses on resilience at network and organizational level, and on how resilience at each single level eventually interacts with resilience at other levels. The project advances knowledge along two main paths: 1. Definition of network resilience and determinants of resilience for coping with different sources of adversities; 2. Transfer of resilience across levels. 

Rethink Corporate Reporting as an open platform for pursuing “Sustainabl Success”

Head: Cristiano Busco 

The projects is motivated by “the spirit and the letter” of the new Corporate Governance Code for the organisations listed in the Italian Stock Exchange. Released on 31 January 2020, the new code focuses – among others – on one key issue: Sustainability. "Rethinking Corporate Reporting” aims to explore the role of Corporate Reporting systems in pursuing “Sustainable Success”. What are the challenges and limitations of such transformative capacity? The project 1) focuses on the role of the finance function as well as on the form of mediation that “integrated” accountability entails; 2) analyses the quality of Corporate/Sustainability reporting, including the critical materiality determination proces; 3) investigates the implications for all the stakeholders along the value chain.

Shifting Paradigms: Biodiversity Law, Ecological Primacy and the Redefinition of Sustainability in the European Green Deal

Head: Raffaele Bifulco 

The project aims at interpreting and structuring the remarkable (and much overlooked) paradigm shift in the legal construction of sustainability triggered by the European Green Deal (EGD). So far, the EU has promoted sustainability in the traditional terms of ‘sustainable development’. Today, it is departing from that consolidated framework: the EGD articulates new dimensions of sustainability. In particular, the Biodiversity Strategy and its implementing measures have taken a clear step in the direction of ‘ecological primacy’, a genuinely innovative concept which challenges the construction of sustainability by pointing to ecological integrity. The latter entails that ecological limits must have primacy over socio-economic regimes. That premised, the project takes seriously the legal developments in the field of biodiversity and the challenges that must be faced on the regulatory side.

SLOTS - Smart Legal Order in DigiTal Society

Head: Marta Simoncini

The project aims to tackle the challenge of codifying the law, including non-textual forms, to build a solid, constitutionally-based legal framework supported by the theory of the philosophy of law, legal informatics, and legal language foundations, making legally effective the machine-computable Law produced directly by Institutions. To avoid the risk that e-legal systems based on codification become not explicable to the common end-user, SLOTS aims to: 1) understand the scope and limits of machine-consumable law; 2) define the relationship between natural language and algorithmic law; 3) represent norms in defensible logic and temporal legal reasoning; 4) support the lawmaking process.

The impact of past experience and of social identity on risk perception of (new) unforeseen contingencies

Head: Daniela Teresa Di Cagno 

In the last decades, economists analyzing Risk Perception (RP) have come to rely on lottery choice experiments and on theoretical refinements of the expected utility approach. Such research demonstrates the importance of monetary choice analysis to predict individual and aggregate economic behavior. As highlighted by studies in psychology and neuroeconomics, the cognitive psychological and social processes underlying RP are crucial to our understanding of how subjects behave in risky contexts. Based on this theoretical framework, the project investigates how differences in Risk Perception is affected by different personal experience and between different groups of interaction, with the aim of 1) helping decision makers to assess their own RP in the view of recent unforeseen contingencies that have perturbed individual lifestyle and social interactions; 2) integrating this enriched assessment of RP into decision support systems to help decision makers to make risky decisions that are consistent with their past experience and current social interactions.

Women’s inclusion in innovation and entrepreneurship

Head: Giovanna Vallanti 

This project investigates gender issues in innovation and entrepreneurship activities. Theories across economics, sociology, and gender studies suggest that the antecedents of this gender gap are rooted in complex and interrelated factors. While some studies propose that the gap originates in early childhood and progresses through high school and tertiary education choices, others suggest that structural factors, such as family and career roles, are more responsible. The objective of the project is to combine theories and methods to assess the causes of this gender gap and propose managerial actions for its reduction in entrepreneurship and innovation.