2. Dottor
Giovanni Di Gennaro
• WHEN -- Established in 2004, two-year study
cycles, 7th cycle starting in 2011
• WHERE -- PoliMi and PoliTo in joint venture
(an asset of the MI-TO framework)
• WHAT-- Additional parallel track to master
studies
• WHO -- Selects 150 talented students per year,
among the applicants to the master programs in
Architecture, Design and Engineering
• WHY-- Emphasize horizontal skills,
management of complexity, working in teams
THE FIVE W’S OF ASP
4. Dottor
Giovanni Di Gennaro
Admission Process, 2007-2009
APPLICATIONS
ADMITTED
STUDENTS
FOREIGN
STUDENTS
CYCLE MILANO TORINO MILANO TORINO MILANO TORINO
TOTAL
FOREIGN
STUDENTS
IV –
(2007) 174 110 83 57 18 9 27
V-
(2008) 251 230 90 60 29 11 40
VI –
(2009) 293 200 90 59 22 13 35
5. Dottor
Giovanni Di Gennaro
ASP Community
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
1 2 3 4 5 6
Other Eng.
Management Eng.
Industrial Eng.
Ict Eng.
Design
Civil+Env.Eng
Architecture
Distribution of ASP Students based upon their Faculty in the 6 Cycles (2004-2009)
6. Dottor
Giovanni Di Gennaro
ASP Student Quality (2008-09)
Average BSc mark of
Italian ASP students
>28.5/30
(PoliTo/PoliMi
average ~ 25.4/30)
Average fraction of Italian
ASP students with 110 or
110L BSc degree ~ 87%
(PoliTo/PoliMi average
~ 14%)
28
28,1
28,2
28,3
28,4
28,5
28,6
28,7
28,8
28,9
1 2 3 4 5 6
75%
80%
85%
90%
95%
100%
1 2 3 4 5 6
7. Dottor
Giovanni Di Gennaro
Cultural Project
• Supporting students in designing solutions to complex
problems, coping with dynamic environments which
require:
• cognitive capacities and aptitude to learning
• capacity to manage organizational processes
• awareness of the interests and the interactions that
take place within the specific context
• flexibility in adapting to the cognitive processes used
during the design process
• talent for interpersonal relations
9. Dottor
Giovanni Di Gennaro
Course Objectives
• Building the foundations of a critical approach to
the main facets of complex, interdisciplinary design
• Understanding the implications of innovative design
in terms of sustainability, socio-economic impact,
strategies to successful entrepreneurship
• Raising the interests of students from all Lauree
Magistrali.
10. Dottor
Giovanni Di Gennaro
Course Contents (V Cycle)
Innovation and its impact on society
1. Innovations: Why and for
whom?
(Prof. Massimiano Bucchi)
• To interpret the socio-technical
context in which innovation takes
place and develops
• To understand how values and
normative cultures shape and
guide innovation and technical
design
2. Global change and sustainability
(prof. Marino Gatto)
• To introduce the students to the
problems of global change
• To outline the possible policies
and technical advancements
that could shape sustainability paths
• To make the students understand
their social commitment to bring
the ideas of social, economic and
environmental sustainability into
their professional life
11. Dottor
Giovanni Di Gennaro
Course Contents (V Cycle)
Actors and decisions in complex projects
3. Management of innovation
(Prof. Mario Calderini)
• To develop the capacity to perform
strategic analysis and project
management
• To develop skills and experience in
group work, and external
communication capacities
4. Decision making
(Prof. Bruno Dente)
• To teach a theoretical framework
and the analytical instruments to
design and manage the decision
making processes involved in the
realisation of complex projects
or programmes
12. Dottor
Giovanni Di Gennaro
Course Contents (V Cycle)
Aspects of complex systems design
5. The art of modeling
(Prof. Sergio Rinaldi)
• To illustrate how to face and
successfully deal with complex
design problems through their
modeling using a systemic
approach
6. The dynamics of creativity
(Prof. Sandro Balducci)
• Starting from specific “hot”
examples, to illustrate the role
and stimulate the use of
creativity in technological design
13. Dottor
Giovanni Di Gennaro
Overall, how would you rate the course contents? (answer in a
scale from 1 to 10, courses randomized)
Feedback from Students (2209)
14. Dottor
Giovanni Di Gennaro
ASP projects enable concrete experimental activity on broad and
relevant themes and problems. They are:
• system-level
• interdisciplinary
• focused on:
- problem-setting within a complex situation
- innovation (i.e. bridging technology with its applications)
- conceptual design and feasibility analysis
• require both:
- disciplinary knowledge (coming from the Laurea Magistrale
background of each student)
- interdisciplinary knowledge (coming from ASP courses)
• they are different from a Laurea Magistrale thesis.
ASP Projects
15. Dottor
Giovanni Di Gennaro
24%
16%
29%
31%
Sustainable development of architectural,
cultural and environmental assets
Social inclusion and systems for health,
security and quality of life
Hi-tech development & net economy
Energy, mobility and the environment.
FOCUS OF COMPLETED PROJECTS
Sustainable development of
architectural, cultural and environmental
assets 14
Social inclusion and systems for health,
security and quality of life 9
Hi-tech development & net economy 17
Energy, mobility and the environment. 18
Contents of the ASP Projects
(5 cycles, 2004-2009)
16. Dottor
Giovanni Di Gennaro
Examples of Contents of
ASP Projects
FOCUS OF COMPLETED PROJECTS
Sustainable development of architectural,
cultural and environmental assets
MUFFA
Multifunctional future for agriculture
Home Emergency
A polycentric model of places of hospitality
Social inclusion and systems for health,
security and quality of life
Will Chair
Reinventing wheels into will
Genoma
GEnetic New Opportunities for Medical Applications
Hi-tech development & net economy WOMan
Windows On Man
FAS.P.ONSITE
Fashion Production on site
Energy, mobility and the environment EnerCity
Sustainability design of micro-scale urban area
SmartCopter
Sensor-vision-enabled autonomous robotic helicopter
for civil applications in urban environments
17. Dottor
Giovanni Di Gennaro
ASP Student Placement
2009 Poll (1st + 2nd + 3rd cycles)
20%
59%
77%
88% 93% 95%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Before
MSc
Within 1
month
Within 2
months
Within 4
months
Within 6
months
After 6
months
FIRST EMPLOYMENT
35%
29%
20%
10% 6%
TYPE
Private
Company
University
(Ph.D.)
Consulting
Reference terms: Sole 24Ore (Jun 2008), PoliMi 2007 survey, …
18. Dottor
Giovanni Di Gennaro
ASP Scientific Committee (Dec.09)
• High quality program is unique contribution to
interdisciplinary education; promotes excellence; creates
enthusiasm and engagement
• Creates a new kind of graduate, best equipped to tackle
the problems of tomorrow.
• Interaction between PoliTo and PoliMi is major
achievement
• High quality students, happy and enthusiastic about the
program
Prof. Robert C. Armstrong, Deputy Director MIT Energy Initiative, Cambridge, MA, USA
Prof. Eric Goles, Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Santiago, Chile
Prof. Yongqi Lou, Deputy Head of Art & Design Department, CAUP Tongji University,
Shanghai, China
Prof. Konrad Osterwalder, Rector United Nations University, Tokyo, Japan
20. Dottor
Giovanni Di Gennaro
Companies Participating to
Projects, 2007-2009
Accenture, Agenzia Milanese Mobilità e Ambiente, AIPO - Agenzia Interregionale per il
fiume Po, Alcatel Lucent, Amet, Associazione Nazionale di Salvamento, Assolombarda,
Autorità di Bacino del fiume Po, Avio, Barilla Group, Camera di Commercio di Torino,
Carlo Gavazzi Space, Cefriel, Comune di Gaeta, Comune di Ivrea, Comune di Milano,
Comune di Pantelleria, Consorzio per gli insediamenti produttivi del Canavese, CSI –
Piemonte, DigiSky, Ecole Nazionale Supérieure d’Architecture de Lyon, Edison Spa, Enel,
Eni, Ente Parco fluviale del Po tratto torinese, F38F, Fondazione Adriano Olivetti,
Fondazione Casa della Carità, Fondazione Hermann Hesse, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto
Nazionale dei Tumori, Fondazione IRCCS Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Fondazione San
Raffaele del Monte Tabor, Fumagalli, G Studio, IBM Italia, IEDO, Indesit Company,
Infosolution, Ingenia, IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Galeazzi, ISMB - Istituto Superiore Mario
Boella, ITG - International Technology Group, Lutech, Modigliani Institut, Multiplicity, One
Works, Pathways to Housing, Procter&Gamble, Provincia di Torino, Radio Televisione
Italiana, Regione Piemonte, Reply, Selex Communications, Shanghai Forever Bicycle Co.,
Shima Seiki Italia, Sim-patia, SlowFood, Softeco Sismat, Solvay Solexis, Soprintendenza del
Mare per la Regione Sicilia, Stanford University, Studio Harrauer, Studio Sarin, TekTao
Urban design, Telecom Italia, Teuco Guzzini, Thales Alenia Space, The MathWorks, TRE -
Tozzi Renewable Energy, TTW, Tulton, Unesco, Università di Udine, University of
California Los Angeles, University of Massachusetts, University of Queensland, Vibram
21. Dottor
Giovanni Di Gennaro
ALUMNI Association
• Created officially in June 2007
• Mission: facilitate networking among ASP Alumni, support the
professional and personal development of ASP Alumni, enhance ASP
visibility
• Activities
• Newsletter
• Alumni Days/Events (2/year)
• Placement poll
