KNOWLEDGE4 POSITIVE IMPACT

In recent years, the word "sustainability" has become central to public debate, consumer choices and, most importantly, business strategies. Today, talking about business means talking about its impact: on the environment, on people, and on society as a whole. In this scenario, ESG parameters – Environmental, Social, and Governance – represent the framework for assessing how sustainable and accountable a company is, beyond its economic and financial performance.

In the contemporary debate on innovation, few keywords are as evocative as “design thinking” and “sustainability.” These two concepts are often covered separately, but are now becoming ever more intermeshed, giving rise to a new vision of enterprise and progress. The increasing urgency of addressing environmental and social challenges requires us to rethink the way we innovate: no longer by taking linear and predictive approaches, but rather by adopting methods that embrace complexity, enhance creativity and generate long-term, positive impact.

In today’s world, marked by unprecedented economic, technological and social transformations, businesses face a crucial challenge: rediscovering their Purpose, the fundamental reason for their existence. We are not talking about an abstract or merely value-based concept, but a true strategic lever that can guide leadership, inspire innovation, and generate positive, long-term impact. In this scenario, CEOs, other C-levels and entrepreneurs are called upon to question not only what they do, but why they do it: what meaning drives their decisions, what kind of value they want to create for people, society, and the planet.

When a new technology emerges, the first reaction is almost always straightforward: to use it to improve on what had already been done before. This is what happened with the web in the 1990s and is happening again today with artificial intelligence. Early applications simply replicate existing activities, raising fears of human labour being replaced. In the field of music, for example, tools are already available that allow you to create a song in less time than it takes to listen to it. It is technically possible, but the fundamental question remains: does it make sense?

In an ever-changing economic and social environment, characterised by technological accelerations and increasingly complex challenges, innovation can no longer be seen as a linear process or confined to research and development departments alone. Today, innovation requires transversal, inclusive, and people-centred approaches. In this scenario, design thinking is affirmed as a methodology – or rather, as a culture – that guides organisations in creating effective, sustainable, and desirable solutions. Its potential is expressed in synergy with new technologies, which enable unprecedented methods of prototyping, experimentation and stakeholder engagement.

In recent years, sustainable finance has become an increasingly central topic in economic and social debate, not only in academia but also among businesses, investors, and policymakers. This is not just a passing fad or a green label to be applied to traditional activities: sustainable finance is now one of the key tools for guiding the transition to a fairer, more resilient, and environmentally friendly economy. At the same time, it represents both a collective responsibility and a concrete opportunity to create value in the medium to long term.

The multi-stakeholder approach with a profitable, sustainable company that cares about its staff and looks after its customers and the local community is the true new paradigm that is becoming more and more established in many businesses. This new philosophy ─ which does not only place shareholders at the centre, as in the past ─ is guided by purpose. It focuses on the challenges that this entails and on why companies should embrace change. For his interview format entitled “Purpose Pioneers Series”, Darren Rudkin, founder of The Mind At Work, meets several entrepreneurs who have been able to make purpose the driving force of their company.

Being aware of and connected to your purpose is critical, not just for the pursuit of your business. Its extraordinary ability to be an expression of the deepest objectives of any entity and initiative makes purpose an engine of development but also of creativity and energy. In the format of interviews conducted by Darren Rudkin, founder of The Mind at Work, entitled “Purpose Pioneers Series”, we discover that it is everything ─ the foundation and motivation of every activity.

In recent years, the concept of purpose has become increasingly central in defining corporate identity and strategy. It is no longer just a question of stating what you do or how you do it, but of answering the most profound question: why you do it. In an ever-changing economic and social context, the business purpose is a powerful engine of meaning and cohesion, capable of guiding strategic action, motivating people, encouraging innovation and strengthening the link between business, society and the environment.

Water management is now at the heart of a profound transformation, driven by the need to reconcile operational efficiency with environmental sustainability. In a global context in which extreme events, water scarcity and infrastructure inefficiencies put pressure on water systems, technological innovation is a key lever for rethinking the water cycle in an integrated, resilient and sustainable perspective.

In recent years, the word "sustainability" has become central to public debate, consumer choices and, most importantly, business strategies. Today, talking about business means talking about its impact: on the environment, on people, and on society as a whole. In this scenario, ESG parameters – Environmental, Social, and Governance – represent the framework for assessing how sustainable and accountable a company is, beyond its economic and financial performance.