Date
International Prize The Technovisionaries® 2019
"Sustainability and New Materials"
Thirteenth edition
Revelations of talent, wit, genius, intelligence, creativity, resourcefulness, flair,
imagination, fantasy, intuition, inspiration, inventiveness.
Women are the ones who invent the future.
Award Ceremony
July 3, 2019
Pirelli Palace - Jannacci Belvedere
22 Fabio Filzi Street, Milan
Promoted by Women&Tech - Women and Technologies Association, the award is given annually to women who, in their professional activities, have demonstrated vision, prioritizing social impact, transparency in behavior, and ethics. International Technovisionary Award ®
They are the "Technovisionaries" in the field of research, innovation, business, media, and culture.
Now in its 13th edition, with the theme "Sustainability and New Materials". Since its existence, man has shaped the materials of nature. He creates new ones, invents them, processes them. Just leaf through a history book to understand how materials have influenced the destiny of humanity. From the Stone Age we have moved on to the Copper Age, the Bronze Age, and the Iron Age, to arrive at the present with energy and technological revolutions driven by coal, oil, and silicon.
The materials of tomorrow will be "intelligent", capable of performing more than one function and replacing devices and gadgets. If in the past we searched in nature for materials with the characteristics we needed, since the last century we have started to manufacture, through chemistry and technologies, new materials with the desired properties.
But we know that the key to the future will be materials with particular reference to "green" materials that will arise from processes that do more with less, advancing a global circular economy, respecting global climate situations, to create a better world thanks to science and inspire people in their behaviors.
Sustainability in the areas of energy and climate, raw materials, health and safety, water, education, and development should be considered a team sport and approached with a holistic mindset.
The path is already set and the women that the Association will reward are the examples to share and whose innovative value should be made known.
The jury is composed of:
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Diana Bracco
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Deborah Chiodoni
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Gianna Martinengo
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Franca Melfi
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Patrizia Rutigliano
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Federica Villa
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Maria Elena Viola
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The award ceremony took place on July 3 at the Belvedere Jannacci in Palazzo Pirelli, in Milan.
The evening, by invitation, saw the participation of decision-makers from the business, university, public administration, and personalities from the scientific, cultural, and media world.
Program
Discover the full event schedule, session times, topics, and keynote speakers.
Marinella Levi, Full Professor, CMIC Politecnico Milano
The word that defines Marinella Levi's activity is solidarity. A Doctor of Materials Engineering, today a Full Professor at the Polytechnic University of Milan, she has always loved learning and teaching, since she was young. Not surprisingly, she has directed her efforts towards studying and transmitting knowledge, achieving excellent results. But it is in doing that Marinella Levi lives her ideal condition, making her skills concrete and making them available to others. In 2013, she created the +Lab, a laboratory of innovations and 3D printing, where she experiments with new polymeric materials to be used in low-cost 3D printing technologies. Always attentive to health-related issues and co-design with differently-abled people, she is committed every day to realizing what she believes in: making technology an ally of the needs and desires of everyone.
Statement from the award-winning:
The discovery of new materials has always marked the evolution of mankind. After the Stone Age, the Iron Age, and the Bronze Age, after the industrial revolutions based on steel for locomotives, plastic for everyday objects, silicon for computers, it is now time for a revolution of materials for the planet. Because each of us has received the earth as a gift from our fathers, but on loan from our children.
Rewarding:
Anna Dotti, student at the Polytechnic University of Milan
Daniela Trabattoni , Director of Women's Heart Center Interventional Cardiology Unit 3, Centro Cardiologico Monzino
What has never been lacking in Daniela Trabattoni's journey is the heart. The one she used to achieve her dream, becoming a doctor, and to which she dedicated her life, specializing in cardiology. From the only woman in the team of interventional cardiologists at Monzino Hospital to head of the operating unit, her career is marked by medical successes and international recognition. But what she perhaps could not imagine is that she would become much more than a great professional. Daniela Trabattoni takes care of women's hearts, contributing, through her outreach work, to debunk the idea that cardiovascular diseases only affect men. An commitment that, since 2017, translates into the Women Heart Center, a center for prevention, care, and research, to safeguard women's health beyond any gender stereotype.
Statement from the award-winning:
Precision medicine that allows for a personalized approach to the patient cannot ignore the use of innovative drugs and tools such as robotics, genomics, and artificial intelligence. Faced with so many new technologies, a profound and rapid change in training is a priority to enable better care by balancing patient safety with the efficient use of resources.
Award delivery:
Diana Bracco, President and CEO of the Bracco Group
Emilia Rio, Direttore Risorse Umane, HSE, Organizzazione e Change Management, A2A, Presidente AMSA S.p.A.
The extraordinary career of Emilia Rio is marked by two pivotal experiences: thirteen years spent at Pirelli and ten at Techint, holding roles of increasing responsibility in HR and communication. Today she directs the human resources of the A2A group, deals with HSE, organization and change management, and since 2013 she has been the president of the environmental company AMSA. In addition to talent, what has guided her in this long career path are two words that encapsulate the essence of her profession: vision and empathy. Her approach to managing employees values human capital, which she considers as the winning driver in achieving company goals. A capacity for relationships and leadership that, as a great manager, translates every day into three key points: dialogue, teamwork, and attention to sustainability.
Statement from the award winner:
I work in Human Resources and I have accompanied many workers and managers in facing the various challenges that have arisen over time. The digital dimension that is pervading professions and daily life is the current challenge. Sustainability means for me to ensure that all workers in the company have the opportunity to overcome fear and offer learning opportunities, contaminations of different knowledge that enable them to face the changes of the rapidly approaching world.
Rewarding:
Roberto Prioreschi, Managing Director of the Bain & Company
Marina Gandini, Junior Research Scientist at Glass to Power, a spin-off of the University of Milano Bicocca
Marina Gandini has always made sure that it was passion that guided her choices. In particular, the greatest passions of her life have been two: cycling and science. Growing up, she decided to dedicate all her effort to the latter, without ever losing sight of what she learned from cycling: love for the environment, for the territory, and for clean energy. After obtaining a PhD in Physics with a research focused on the study of an innovative material for photovoltaic solutions, she is involved in the sustainable project Glass To Power by merit. Today she is responsible for the development and optimization of the technology that converts light into electrical energy, thanks to which the windows produced by Glass To Power will be able to transform the windows of buildings into renewable energy generators.
Statement from the award-winning:
Sustainability is efficiency, efficiency is knowledge. Galileo writes in "The Assayer": to understand the world, one must know the characters in which it is written. Materials Science in this sense is like Literature: composing new works in the language of Nature. The potential of Matter is impressive. The more we investigate, the more we realize the simplicity of its essence: elegance.
Rewarding:
Milena Bardoni, Mediolanum Private Banker.
Silvia Bencivelli, Medical doctor, scientific journalist, radio and television presenter
The professional activities that Silvia Bencivelli dedicates herself to are multiple, but all are united by a common thread: the love for the truth , an emblematic word of her way of understanding work. The truth of science, deepened with a degree in medicine and disseminated through her brilliant career as a science journalist; the truth of the stories told in her essays and novels; the truth of the information she shares in high-quality cultural programs, such as Pagina3 and Radio3 Scienza, and that she transmits to students in the master's programs where she teaches. Awarded for her journalistic and publicistic activities, Silvia Bencivelli speaks about science out loud, reaching everyone and defending the truth with courage and determination.
Statement from the award-winning:
New, and together sustainable, means doing more with less: more materials, therefore more possibilities, using fewer resources and polluting less. A great challenge for scientific research that holds the future of our species and our planet in its hands, and it is a challenge that we must overcome.
Rewarding:
Maria Pia Abbracchio, Vice Rector with responsibility for Research Strategies and Policies and full professor of pharmacology, University of Milan
Jayshree Seth, Corporate Scientist and Chief Science Advocate, 3M US
In her life, Jayshree Seth has always pushed beyond boundaries, both personal and professional, achieving remarkable milestones. And it is the ability to look beyond that characterizes her professional journey, inspiring her interlocutors to do the same. With a PhD in Chemical Engineering and 25 years of research experience at the multinational company 3M, she is the first female engineer to become a Corporate Scientist, the highest technical position at 3M. Since 2018, as the first Chief Science Advocate, she travels the world explaining the role of science in society. A dissemination work aimed at debunking the idea that science is far from our daily lives, and encouraging young people to approach the world of STEAM disciplines without fear.
Statement from the award-winning:
At 3M, I have the opportunity to apply science to enhance the quality of life, using sustainable materials and technological platforms. Our sustainability framework is based on 3 pillars: Science for circular, to develop solutions that optimize resources and promote a circular economy. Science for climate, to reduce industry carbon emissions and drive climate solutions forward. Lastly, science for community, to contribute to a more positive world through scientific advancements.
Rewarding:
Alessandro Fermi, President of the Regional Council - Lombardy Region
Sonia Bergamasco , actress and director
For Sonia Bergamasco, music, performing arts, and science are not distant worlds. What unites them is an almost magical element: the power of creativity. A combination of imagination, intuition, and the ability to envision, to have a vision. The same magic that underlies her work and runs through her being a versatile and multifaceted artist: musician, director, actress, and keen observer of the world. A genuine passion for everything that is sensitivity and discovery, which has driven her to use the languages of art to speak to the public about scientific dissemination, memorable characters, and themes of strong social relevance, such as the relationship between men and women in today's society. This is why Sonia Bergamasco is a professional curious.Rewarding:
Laura Piazzi, journalist, radio presenter, and television author
Monica Parrella, General Director of Personnel of the Ministry of Economy and Finance
The word most used by Monica Parrella to describe her institutional commitment is responsibility. This is the foundation of the spirit of service with which she holds the current position of General Director of Personnel at the Ministry of Economy and Finance, and which, for five years, has characterized her work as General Director of the Office for interventions on equal opportunities at the Presidency of the Council of Ministers. An ethical and social responsibility that Monica Parrella has translated into virtuous projects such as "In summer you learn STEM", summer camps to promote scientific and technological culture among girls, guiding them towards a future of freedom and awareness in the workplace.
Awarding:
Magda Bianco, Head of Customer Protection and Anti-Money Laundering Service and Coordinator of the Equal Opportunities Commission, Bank of Italy
Jill Morris, British Ambassador to Italy and San Marino
The first female ambassador of the United Kingdom in Italy, Jill Morris embodies a new model of diplomacy: modern, inclusive, and in step with society. And it is precisely innovation that is her distinctive feature, a unique and personal way of managing work and official duties. A great expert in European issues, for three years director of the Foreign & Commonwealth Office, she worked at the UK Representation Office in Brussels. Today she directs the work of the English Embassy with political, commercial, and cultural responsibilities. Animated by a strong openness to the world, always personally committed to promoting women in fields such as finance, Jill Morris carries a mantra that is at the basis of all her successes: working with dedication without ever ceasing to be oneself.
Rewarding:
Giampiero Massolo, Ambassador, President of ISPI.
