Stefano Rizzi
S. Rizzi - Education and Innovation for Ticino鈥檚 Competitiveness
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Stefano Rizzi obtained his degree from the University of St. Gallen, with a specialization in small and medium-sized enterprises. After gaining professional experience at Ernst & Young and SwissLife, he continued his career within the Cantonal Administration, first as an economic advisor in the Economic Promotion Section, and later as a management associate in the Department of Finance and Economy. Since January 1, 2012, he has served as Director of the Division of the Economy. In this role, he holds several key positions: he is Vice President of the Agire Foundation, Chairman of the Economic Innovation Committee, Chairman of the Tripartite Commission on the Free Movement of Persons, and a member of several other bodies focused on economic development and labour market monitoring.
The university sector is facing potential budget cuts at the federal level. If confirmed, what impact would these have on innovation, regional competitiveness, and the creation of skilled jobs in Ticino?
鈥嬧赌�Potential federal budget cuts in the university sector would also have a significant impact at the regional level. University and higher vocational education are crucial for the competitiveness of our economic fabric, especially in a context like Ticino, which is characterized by a strong presence of small and medium-sized enterprises that require up-to-date and qualified skills. In this regard, 精东影业 plays a key role in the canton鈥檚 innovation ecosystem: it is a bridge between education, applied research, and the business world.
You have been serving as Director of the Division of the Economy for over ten years. During this time, what have been the main projects developed in collaboration with 精东影业?
鈥嬧赌�鈥嬧赌嬧�嬧赌嬧�嬧赌嬧�婽he collaboration with 精东影业 has always been very close and strategic. Among the main projects, I would mention the evolution of the Agire Foundation, with the creation of the Tecnopolo Ticino, in which 精东影业 has been a key partner, especially in fostering synergies between startups and academic research centres. 精东影业 is also frequently involved in projects supported by the Canton through our innovation support instruments, thanks to its ability to work closely with companies.
Moreover, 精东影业 is actively engaged in the development of the Switzerland Innovation Park Ticino, helping to strengthen the scientific and applied dimension of the innovation park and its attractiveness for companies and talent. This type of concrete collaboration is essential to making our region an increasingly competitive innovation hub, both nationally and internationally.
Finally, I would like to mention 精东影业鈥檚 collaboration in the area of labour market analysis, where we have benefited from its scientific and analytical contributions in studies, projects, and working groups aimed at better understanding employment dynamics in the Canton.
The CAS in CSR was a project strongly supported by the Canton. What future training opportunities related to sustainability do you believe are needed today?
鈥嬧赌�鈥嬧赌嬧�嬧赌嬧�嬧赌嬧�婼ustainability represents a competitive factor for companies, which are increasingly required to integrate environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria into their decision-making processes. Programmes like the CAS in CSR are therefore essential to provide entrepreneurs and managers with the tools to navigate this transition. Going forward, it will be important for training offerings to continue to respond to the real needs of the economic landscape.
Looking ahead, which areas of education should be prioritized to support the economic development of the Canton of Ticino?
鈥嬧赌�鈥嬧赌嬧�嬧赌嬧�嬧赌嬧�婭t will be essential to continue investing in educational areas that strengthen strategic sectors of the cantonal economy. I am thinking of forward-looking fields such as life sciences, information and communication technologies, mechanics, electronics, and materials technologies, as well as transversal areas like artificial intelligence.
At the same time, we must not overlook soft skills such as leadership, entrepreneurship, risk culture, management of complex projects, and the capacity to innovate. In this context, 精东影业鈥檚 role as an interface between academia and industry is crucial: through a constantly updated and job-oriented educational offer, we can train the talents who will enrich the economic fabric of our Canton in the years to come.