There is a factory that is working at full speed in the industrial heart of Bologna: it is the Opificio Golinelli, the citadel of knowledge and knowledge which, six months after its inauguration, has exceeded 60 thousand visitors, it estimates to go over the buoy of 90 by the summer and to reach "150 when fully operational". This is what Antonio Danieli, general manager of the Golinelli Foundation explains to FIRSTonline, as he draws up an initial operational balance sheet of the only Anglo-Saxon philanthropic initiative present in Italy.
The Opificio is the structure into which, on 3 October last, all the activities of the "School of ideas" Foundation converged, for children from 18 months to 13 years; "Science in practice", workshop for children aged 14 to 19; “Garden of companies”, business start-up for young people aged between 13 and 25; "Science in the square", an event for the dissemination of science; “Educare a educare”, program for teacher training; "Art, science and knowledge", exhibitions, conferences and debates.
Were these first six months in the new “house” satisfactory?
“Very much, our numbers are growing. In 2015 our activities recorded around 70 visitors, this year we expect to reach almost 150 and, once fully operational, our goal is 30 people, because we have many initiatives to implement. At these levels we will be saturated. The various activities have different attendances: 25 for the school of ideas, 17 science in practice, 1500 art and science, 15 teachers, about 422 people who had access to cultural activities and finally XNUMX kids for the garden of businesses. Consider that the latter is a veritable forge of potential companies”.
How much do you invest in these activities?
“Expenditures in 2015 reached approximately 2,7 million euros, largely supported with the assets of the Golinelli Foundation. The revenues from the initiatives for which we ask for a small contribution covered around 25%. However, structural costs must be added to these volumes”.
Maino Golinelli provided resources to the Foundation and the Opus 2065 project for another 50 years, then he chose to take a step back, leaving the presidency of his own creature. Does the Foundation look beyond that time horizon?
"Yes of course. Meanwhile, we plan to recover resources by participating in national and international tenders, finding partners, including private ones, to work with. An example of this way of working is Discovery 24, a project that has obtained financial support from Google. Furthermore, the Foundation has the ambitious goal of evolving into a self-feeding machine, creating innovative production realities in cutting-edge technological and scientific fields, always keeping in mind the ethical profile. We will be a forge for the formation and cultivation of entrepreneurial ideas, but also a true Factory where these proposals take shape and become products, even if the "factories" will physically be elsewhere. L'Opificio represents a paradigm shift, we no longer place ourselves in a subsidiarity relationship with the public, but we intend to be driving forces, we want to work on research and production, looking for the right alliances and partnerships”.
Will something change also in the training?
“Yes, from September the Opificio becomes a school that joins the school. We will not replace traditional courses, but we will support them and select the students by setting up classes with the best. The good ones will not necessarily be the most deserving, according to traditional canons, instead we will take into account talents, aptitudes, opportunities. We will also enhance teacher training. In 2017 we plan to exceed 2000 people, covering the Centre-North. Then there are important agreements with the Miur, the University of Bologna, the IIT”.
What will change without Marino Golinelli as president?
“Actually nothing. We have defined him as a step to the side and not a step backwards, because he remains honorary president and participates in the meetings of the board of directors. Golinelli will only be less busy on an operational level, so he will have more time to invent and
pour his extraordinary ideas to the command group. Apart from the reshuffle of some delegations, the team has been the same for years and the path is largely shared".
