The Italians in Silicon Valley "Return? Need meritocracy"

SAN FRANCISCO - Astonishment, awe, caution and some criticism. The promoters of the meetings organized in the United States by the promoters of Controesodo, the bill recently approved by the Italian parliament to facilitate the repatriation of talented youth who live abroad, have had reactions contrastantanti among our countrymen in America.

Greeted with enthusiasm both San Francisco and New York (with a reception at the Italian American Museum of Frisco and two meetings in the Big Apple), the parliamentarians had arrived from Italy to answer many questions. The rest of the meeting to speak Frisco was the hard core italianity California.

From our own hi-tech titans of Silicon Valley as Diego Ventura, founder of NoHold, the agit-prop of the social networking-inspired flag in the Golden State as Jeff Capaccio, vice president of American National Foundation and founder of the Silicon Valley Italian American Executive Council, the body which brings together Italian manufacturers of high technology.

By Marco Marinucci, founder of Mind the Bridge Foundation, which has the goal to establish a bridge between the activities of Italian startups and venture capitalists U.S. Matteo Fabiano, co-president of the Italian American Business Association, an organization that want to link researchers and industrial Italians living in the region through research projects, universities and Italian companies.

What follows is a collection of voices of Italians who work in Silicon Valley compared with those of our parliamentarians. A cross section interesting and revealing his own way. I doubt. Although the majority of those who participated in the meetings expressed positive feelings towards the initiative, many were concerned that those in the United States defines its "Unintended Consequences", or the unintended consequences.

"The risk is that this law could create fictitious divisions among Italians at home and those abroad," said one of the young researchers spoke at the meeting in San Francisco. "That is, that back through tax breaks and projects which fit in - at best - they can be perceived as competitors by our countrymen.

And again, this flow could be seen as a kind of colonialism production on the contrary, where the emigrants would return to lead the innovative growth of our country. " Benefits. One risk, however, that it is worth running, according to the deputy of the Democratic Party William Vaccaro, who with colleague Alessia Mosca animated meetings in the U.S..

As an Italian talent returning from abroad would bring with it not only the network of contacts who has created but also the kind of international perspective which is currently lacking entrepreneurship ours. "The young man who returns from the United States or Russia and that it is part of a company automatically raises the quotient of globalization," says Vaccaro.

"Not only because they speak another language and knows how the system works in another country, but also because it has a wealth of contacts and know-how that can benefit greatly by the Italian company that goes to work." "Without return structures does not make sense." But, have highlighted some of the speakers, attention: in the absence of a "receiving hand", ie the creation of channels that fit those talents back in suitable facilities, the law of Controesodo could turn into a boomerang.

Ended up contributing to the disappointment of those who return home and further growth of cynicism among our youth. Symptomatic of this key in the story of a researcher from Milan a few years ago he decided to return home attracted to a measure aimed at facilitating the return of expatriate Italian scientists.

"The problem is not only funding but also of projects and want to do," said the researcher. "Assumption in the laboratory of an institution whose name I do, I have had to go back to America after a bit 'of time because nothing was happening: we discussed, debated and ultimately did not move anything, could become my grave professional, "says the researcher.

"Other countries have set up projects, have established research institutions in which to enter this talent back," said Alberto Sangiovanni Vincentelli, professor of computer science at Berkeley University and founder of Cadence Design Systems. 'Not only that, but also the attitude of society towards them is different.

In other countries, migrants are placed not only return but are also accepted with enthusiasm as it is their business. "The deterrent effect of nepotism. But even when they have been accepted, or have entered, the return of Italian talent must do deal with a corporate mentality that does not reward retrograde merit and competence, but rather the family ties.

"I do not think that young Italians who have left the country to seek to realize our country is willing to return to work in a ' company or the owner of Ragusa Bergamasco, "said Fabio Ficano, CEO of Moncada Energy USA. "They have a conflictual relationship with the mother country, after they left because they were unhappy, and I do not think it possible that he or she has gone to China to agree to work in a company in which the manager occupies that position only because it is the owner's son.

" Acceptance, integration problems, stagnation innovation, meritocracy and perfect the nation's aging issues were also touched by another researcher in the face to face San Francisco: "Even if you create a list of available talent to return home against a job offer from a foreign company in Italy, who assures us that the person was hired because he really merits and not for his knowledge? "he asked the investigator.

"Italy has a historical problem with the meritocracy. The allocation of the charges too often prevails in Italy and its opposite, nepotism, doing our country a system hang." It does not end here. Somehow, however, the promoters had prepared to criticism, in fact they were looking for. "Starting all over San Francisco not only because it was lawful, the project was inspired by his visit that we made in the city in 2009," said Vaccaro, "but also because this is probably the Italian emigration to the highest coefficient hi -tech world.

" In fact, the project could not have received a baptism of fire more intense. Before San Francisco there were two meetings in New York. The first and second at the Jolly Hotel at Armani Café, both in Manhattan, the meeting drew a mix of emerging entrepreneurs, as Claudio Bozzo, President of the Mediterranean Shipping Company, seasoned industry players such as Paolo Vannini and former CEO of Fiat USA researchers on the rise as Monica Fornier, oncologist of the Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.

And while Controesodo begins to arouse some curiosity among the American media, the San Francisco Examiner's just dedicated an article and a video interview, the promoters are giving new appointment in April when, returning forces with journalist and author Beppe Severgnini, are planning to establish a beachhead in the new continent.

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