Year II September-October 2010 n. 8
in san marino
C ONTENTS
INFORMATION MAGAZINE PUBLISHED BY THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE OF THE REPUBLIC OF SAN MARINO
INTERVIEW Romeo Morri, Minister of Education A REWARDING IDEA A WORLD OF SERVICES ECONOMIC EUROPEAN SPACE MEMBERS’ AREA CHOCOTITANO 2010
E DITORIAL Massimo Ghiotti - General Manager
“An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest” Benjamin Franklin Let us consider the economic universe of the twenty-first century. Let us reduce the field of interest to the so-called civilized countries, those in which the State supports and promotes the setting up of new companies; where technology, information and means of communication are accessible and within the reach of everyone; where quality certification, action plans and compliance with procedures represent the compass for finding your way in the constant endeavour towards improving products, processes or provided services. Instruments and work conditions being equal, what makes the difference, what actually determines the competitiveness of a company on the global market, are people. Or as they are called today – human resources. To make the difference on today’s market, you need to exploit and strengthen individual skills. That is why, over recent decades, training has become so important, both when it comes to choosing staff and structuring work paths (ex post training), as an instrument for updating professional figures and for
adapting to environment changes. Hence update workshops and seminars are attended by increasing numbers of people, are often organised within companies themselves and are often able to rely on a dedicated company trainer. A trend that is also becoming popular with public administrations, which consider training a real substantial government lever. Only a few weeks back, the news spread that Vietnam, an emerging country, had decided to invest in training its bureaucratic cadres by sending all its top managers to a specific business school in London. A far-reaching decision that pursues the noble aim of keeping those who hold positions of public responsibility updated, for the benefit of the entire community. One thing is for sure, strong motivation and clarity in focalising objectives, along with strong self-esteem are needed to recognise the limits of one’s knowledge and go beyond them. But the excitement and the satisfaction that stem from putting into practice newly acquired skills, and the enjoyment of the results achieved thanks to them, are perhaps the strongest impulse, the stimulation able to trigger a virtuous
process of evolution, capable of reproducing and selffeeding itself. That same driving force that results in an increasing number of young post-graduates deciding to place their university training at the disposal of no profit organisations, rather than prefer a professional career which sees in the mere obtaining of a profit its only raison d’etre. Suffice it to think that from 2003 to 2009 the number of post-graduates of the Yale School of Management intent on undertaking a no profit career jumped from 1 to 9%. In its own small way, the Chamber of Commerce has always maintained the importance of all-round training as an essential element for the growth of the Republic of San Marino. Training for would-be businesspersons, training for San Marino companies, training for quality certification. This because the conviction is well-rooted that only through the filter of culture and the acquisition of greater skills will it be possible to understand the world that surrounds us and make truly effective decisions within the country – whatever their nature: from the opening of a company to positioning on international markets, computerisation and making the best use of human resources.
in san marino
september-october 2010 1