Pisa, 15 June 2024 – Last weekend, Pisa hosted the first 2024 edition of the “Pratolungo Unconference,” an innovative and constantly evolving event curated by Alessandro Fusacchia, in collaboration with Lorenzo Micheli and Massimiliano Ventimiglia.
“Bringing the Pratolungo Unconference out of Pratolungo for the first time was a gamble and it was exciting. It worked very well, proving that the true genius loci are people. Pisa proved to be a welcoming place, people with different backgrounds, professions and interests met and discussed together the near future of society and the contribution that each of them can make”, declared the curator Alessandro Fusacchia. This experimental format, now in its third edition, previously took place in Rieti, in the small and charming town of Pratolungo. This year, the conference, which stands out for its unconventional approach, with intimate and focused conversations in small groups on topics proposed directly by the participants, debuted in Pisa with the aim of promoting a lively exchange of ideas and stimulating reflections on topics of great public and social relevance, such as artificial intelligence, environmental sustainability, or innovation in businesses, but also private ones, such as happiness. “The event showed how Pisa can be a crossroads of innovative ideas and a place where thinkers, artists and entrepreneurs can meet and create together,” commented councilor Frida Scarpa, “We are proud to have hosted the Pratolungo Unconference and to to have contributed to such a meaningful and prospective dialogue. The active participation of all those present made the event a success, demonstrating that collaboration and open discussion are fundamental to face the challenges of the future.” During an intense 48-hour full immersion, over 80 guests including representatives of national and local institutions, academics, exponents of culture and business, artists and thinkers, creative minds passionate about emerging technologies and social progress arriving from all over Italy, had the opportunity to engage in some of the most evocative places in the Pisan area, thanks to the patronage of the Municipality of Pisa and the commitment of councilor Frida Scarpa, who enthusiastically welcomed the idea of hosting the event and actively participating . Together with her, Andrea Di Benedetto, President of the Polo Tecnologico di Navacchio, and Francesco Oppedisano, President of CNA Pisa, also contributed to the success of the initiative, having already participated in previous editions. “CNA, its entrepreneurs and artisans strongly wanted to contribute to the realization of this event in Pisa because they believe that it is a movement of people through which it is possible to aspire to be a cutting-edge entrepreneurial fabric; innovation, it must be remembered, takes place in companies but also in society. So our trade association could only be there” declares Francesco Oppedisano, President of CNA Pisa. “Pratolungo is first and foremost human capital in its most crystalline form. A space in which diversity adds up, or rather multiplies, rather than eliminating one another. It might all sound very rhetorical, but the simple reality is that every meeting leaves you more enthusiastic and aware, but above all less alone, than before. I would recommend it to anyone, as a therapy against surrendering to the impossibility of change. We tried to understand how to make it grow without distorting it: if it were a startup, I would say we are experimenting with scalability. Pisa was a first experiment strongly desired by many of us: needless to say, I am extremely happy with how it succeeded.” continues Andrea Di Benedetto, President of the Technology Center of Navacchio. The Pratolungo Unconference represented a unique opportunity to explore new horizons, share knowledge and build collaborative networks in a stimulating and creative context in some of the most significant places in Pisa, from the Domus Comeliana, in the shadow of the Tower of Pisa, to the villa Presidential of Gombo, in the San Rossore Park, at the Bastione San Gallo. The symbolic conclusion of the event was held in the latter place, anticipating the next events scheduled for July in Pratolungo and November in Sicily.
MB
