Centres and observatories

The School supports interdisciplinarity through research centres and observatories, which work in alignment with our research strategy and labs.

Our research centres generate large-scale research attention through innovative approaches that emphasize the impact of research.

Our observatories carry out in-depth studies, and monitor the evolution of specific areas within the Italian economic system.

VSM centres

Ca' Foscari Competency Centre (CFCC)

Main research areas: soft skill develpment

Related programme: Executive education - People management

About: Established in 2012, the Ca' Foscari Competency Centre (CFCC) carries out research, training and consultancy activities in the field of development and evaluation of transversal competences (soft skills).
Its main objective is to increase people's performance and attractiveness on the labour market through the development of their soft skills.The Centre explores  the issue of soft skills development in the academic field, and opens up new avenues for research and experimentation, aimed at improving the qualitative matching between supply and demand in the labour market.

The centre's researchers are mainly based at Venice School of Management.

WebsiteCFCC

AIKU - ART, INDUSTRY AND CULTURE

Main research areas: art & business, corporate museums and theatre, cultural heritage, cultural policy & management, tourism & territory.

Art, Industry and Culture intersect more and more frequently, for different reasons and with a variety of consequences, delineating a significant fraction of the hybrid and interdisciplinary reality that characterises our time.
University has a central role to play in analysing, understanding and promoting these intertwined fields of knowledge and their cultural, economic and social processes.
AIKU was created as a tool for this work of interpretation and action operating in the indistinct but crucial perimeter in which artistic processes involve economic production, discovering its cultural and creative dimension.

WebsiteAIKU

YUNUS SOCIAL BUSINESS CENTRE

Main research areas: social economy - combining social and environmental purposes with economic sustainability.

The Ca' Foscari Yunus Social Business Centre is a vibrant hub where research, advising and education converge to spread social business principles and theories, inspired by the Nobel Peace Prize Muhammad Yunus’ lessons. The centre is part of a Global Network and it is accredited by the Yunus Centre of Dhaka in Bangladesh. It promotes a concept of social economy with the aim of combining economic and environmental sustainability with social purposes.
The activities of the Ca' Foscari Yunus Social Business Centre go beyond academia and actively engage with local and international actors. To this respect, collaborations and partnerships with main actors of the third sector such as Save the Children or fair trade Champion Altromercato are activated to create meaningful social change and promote the concept of purpose and impact, for a new, better economy

Website: YUNUS

VSM observatories

National Observatory of Inter-firm Networks

The National Observatory of Inter-firm Networks was founded by the NOIS research lab in partnership with Infocamere and Retimpresa.
The Observatory collects data on the evolution of Italian inter-firm networks through an annual research report.
It aims to map the peculiar characteristics of network contracts in Italy and to monitor their evolutionary factors and trend lines.

Latest publicationNational Observatory of Inter-firm Networks 2023 [ITA]

Observatory on the transformations of the Italian automotive ecosystem

The observatory on the transformations of the Italian automotive ecosystem is promoted by Motus-E [ITA] and the Center for Automotive and Mobility Innovation, with the goal of producing scientific evidence on the evolution of companies’ and workers’ competences and skills. The observatory’ focuses on the impact that the current transformation of the mobility industry will have on the structure of the Italian automotive industry.
On this matter, the observatory runs a yearly survey and produces a report. Both activities are carried out under the scientific responsibility of CNR-IRCrES. The survey includes actors involved in Italy in the design, production, sales of cars, buses, and tucks, including machinery suppliers, distribution actors (service and sales), suppliers of electricity and plant infrastructure, and other actors that may be linked to the energy transition.
Results are available to policy makers, firms, unions, and other institutions. The observatory will constantly update its scope and focus in the light of current innovation dynamics relating, for example, to the drivetrain’s electrification, investments in autonomous and connected mobility, etc.

Lastest publication: Report on transformations in the Italian automotive ecosystem

Latest publication: TEA Observatory 2022 [ITA]

B2B Observatory

The B2B Observatory was founded in partnership with the Italian communication agency Marketing Arena. The Observatory collects data on the evolution of B2B marketing activities through an annual research project. It aims to analyse and map the maturity level of Italian companies in the B2B segment and to monitor the key factors of their marketing strategies.

Latest publication: B2B Observatory 2024 [ITA]

Observatory on Food Strategy and innovation

Promoted by the Agrifood Management Lab, it provides scholars, experts, decision makers within public institutions and firms in the field of agrifood  with an updated analysis of innovation strategies related to both the adoption of digital technologies and sustainability activities by food SMEs in the North East of Italy. 

Latest publicationObservatory on Food Strategy and innovation 2023 [ITA]

Last update: 12/04/2024