Italian Best project opens the way to a new generation of entrepreneurs

The well-known Italian entrepreneur Adriano Olivetti is a glorious example of Made in Italy technology. He graduated from the Politecnico (Turin) in 1924 and, after a short stay in the US, he came back with the adequate expertise to build the first computer in the world.

This enthusiasm and the will to "make the difference" are the basis of the new Best project, launched by Enel Foundation and the Superior School of St Anne of Pisa, in collaboration with the Italian Consulate in San Francisco. It will assign a scholarship to a young winner who will have the chance to spend six months in the Silicon Valley and observe how ideas are converted into prosperous trade. This trip should have an inspirational effect on the winner - that is to give him/her some thoughts on what could be a fruitful and innovative business to create in Italy.

"Going abroad for some time and then come back to Italy was an essential element in the training path of several entrepreneurs, like Adriano Olivetti.Under his father's pressure, he spent 6 months in the US, the same timespan we are offering the scholarship for" declared Carlo Papa, director of Enel Foundation.

The aim of the project is to broaden Italian horizons, to push new generations of entrepreneurs to go away and see new scenarios. At the same time, Best wants those brains to come back and bear fruit to foster Italian economic competitiveness not only in Europe but worldwide. Therefore, this initiative intends to bring a new wave of start-ups involved in several fields but having in common a skilled and up-to-date leadership that could lead them along the rational logic of maximizing the assets minimizing the costs.

There is still a lot to learn but the strong will and the good examples will certainly work as catalysts towards success.

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