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Page 46, Michelangelo Buonarroti, David, 1501-1504, On these pages: Michelangelo Buonarroti, The Last Judgment,
marble in the round (© julof90 / Getty Images). 1535-1541, fresco, detail (Jupiterimages / Getty Images).
Page 47: Presentation of the Dolce&Gabbana 2020-2021 Prototype for the robotic arm controlled by artificial intelligence
fall/winter collection (© Dolce&Gabbana) and developed by Smart Robots (© Luca Rotondo).

A special fusion of art, science, and design: that uniquely Italian way of

doing things took shape in Renaissance workshops.

Flashforward to 2020. Today: a turning point. The moment has So then, which way do we go?
come to cultivate a new awareness, which harks back to the origins We must continue to conscientiously work on building a pow-
of Italy’s productive identity. And to pinpoint the cultural roots that erful Italian image that is acknowledged by the entire world, which
can help a company, a product, or a brand forge their own identity knows how to use the past as a distinctive element and a springboard
and stand out by creating their own unique story, recognizing and for plunging into modern times, which puts the instruments for do-
valorizing what it means to be Italian today, and revitalizing an ing so at everyone’s disposal. In order to look ahead with awareness
interpretive key with exceptional imaginative power: Italian aes- and, without betraying ourselves, convey our talent for innovation.
thetic. An extraordinary magnet for formulating new development Because in today’s world, it’s useless to try to do things the
strategies. Once again, the key to the future lies in our past. same way that the people we consider the best do. We have to be the
As the composer Gustav Mahler said, tradition is not the wor- best by doing them in a unique way, which nobody can copy: it is a
ship of ashes, but the preservation of fire. question of ability, of culture, of vision. It is a question of courage.

48 Innovation Protagonist