SDA Bocconi MBA’s Conference Regatta 2018: Objective Blue Economy

The SDA Bocconi MBA’s Conference & Regatta between the best international Business Schools will be taking place from September 27th to September 30th in Santa Margherita Ligure.

The managers of tomorrow have a big responsibility: they are among those whose decisions can have the greatest impact on environmental protection. For this reason the main topic of the 15th edition of the MBA’s Conference and Regatta – organised by SDA Bocconi School of Management and Yacht Club Italiano, to be held in Santa Margherita Ligure from September 27th to September 30th – will be environmental sustainability, thanks to a partnership agreed with the One Ocean Foundation, set up to fight pollution of our seas and to promote a sustainable marine economy.

450 students from 26 Business Schools, including some of the world’s most prestigious institutions, will attend an immersive experience combining the historic regatta with high-level training. The cornerstone of the event is the Conference on Saturday September 29th in partnership with the One Ocean Foundation, entitled: “The Role of the new Leaders for the Blue Economy: saving the Ocean for a Smart and Sustainable Growth”. Cervara Abbey is the venue for the conference, which will be attended by influencers, companies and institutions engaged in the daily fight to protect the oceans that cover 70% of our planet.

“Without oceans we have no future, which is why the SDA Bocconi School of Management has always had a strong interest in actions to safeguard and protect our marine environment, thanks to our knowledgeable researchers Stefano Pogutz and Francesco Perrini” commented Federico Pippo, a lecturer in Corporate Finance at the SDA Bocconi School of Management. “For this reason, this year the Conference in combination with the historic regatta has been organised for the first time in partnership with the One Ocean Foundation”.

Marco Baglione, MBA 2018 Candidate and President of the SDA Bocconi Sailing Club, confirmed “The number of attendees has never been so high, and this validates the strong interest in a format that combines high quality academic learning with a top-level debate among leading Italian and international experts”.

Jan Pachner, Secretary General of the One Ocean Foundation, added: “Our travelling companions are important, but so is our destination: we are moving forward decisively towards a common objective, laying the foundations for a better future that is sustainable both environmentally and economically”.

The event, moderated by Maurizio Dallocchio, will open with a speech by Daniele Maver, Alumnus MBA and Chairman and CEO of Jaguar Land Rover Italy.
 
The occasion is an opportunity to turn the spotlight on a series of interrelated issues: the contribution of science – thanks to the testimony of Sandro Carniel, an expert in physical oceanography from the National Research Council’s Institute of Marine Sciences (CNR ISMAR)  – raising awareness, which involves communicating the right message  – such as the contribution from the Sky campaign “Un mare da salvare” (“Sky Ocean Rescue”) presented by Daniele Moretti, chief editor at Sky TG24, and finally case histories, virtuous companies who have made sustainability and protecting the environment, particularly the seas, one of their mainstays.

These are all issues that support a medium to long term vision: the Blue Economy, an economic model inspired by natural ecosystems, where nothing is wasted but everything keeps circulating. The aim is to raise the awareness of our leaders of the future, and to launch the concept of sustainability as an essential value for the growth of businesses and industries.

Attendees at the Conference will accept a specific commitment, by signing the Charta Smeralda, the code of ethics of the One Ocean, which is aimed at engaging the public opinion, businesses, and stakeholders. It is no “book of dreams”, but a charter that addresses our most pressing issues by defining specific, real areas of intervention to defend our seas. The first manifestation of this commitment will be a challenge for the participants who are asked to demonstrate, in videos published under the hashtag #MBAfor1Ocean, what they have done during the regatta to meet the requirements of the Charta Smeralda. Their contributions will be rated in a contest with the theme of “sustainable seas”, with the most “sustainable” vessel receiving an award along with the winner of the regatta.

SDA Bocconi School of Management