(June 14, 2017) Simest Spa, a Cdp Group company and 76% owned by Sace, confirms - for the eighth year - its adherence to the Degree Program Prize promoted by Comitato Leonardo. The company will make a 3.000 € scholarship available, for the best thesis on "Italian companies and international markets. The 'Italy system' finance for the development of competitiveness" and themes related to: competitive strategies for internationalization, the types of products and services offered by banks and other institutions for the implementation of the internationalization strategy, internationalization of companies, advantages and risks of strategies and merchant banking in the processes of expansion abroad. "For the eighth consecutive year we reward the young talents who in the course of their studies and with their thesis have analyzed successful cases of Made in Italy abroad - said Simest's president, Salvatore Rebecchini - we promote Italy in the world every day, by encouraging the development of Made in Italy and Made with Italy, helping Italian companies - especially SMEs - to face the challenge of global markets". The "Degree Awards" initiative of Comitato Leonardo, launched in 1997, allowed time to reward hundreds of young graduates and students from many universities throughout Italy thanks to the valuable collaboration of their associates. The Chairman of Comitato Leonardo is the businesswoman Luisa Todini. The committee was born in 1993 on the joint initiative of Sen. Sergio Pininfarina and Sen. Gianni Agnelli, Confindustria, Italtrade and a group of entrepreneurs with the aim of promoting Italy through various initiatives aimed at highlighting the skills of entrepreneurship, artistic creativity, refinement and culture reflected in its products and lifestyle. "The new generations represent the future engine of our economy and today we have the duty to value their talent, a wealth of enormous potential to protect and stimulate", commented Luisa Todini. It is also with this aim that the Comitato Leonardo promotes the Degree Awards for 20 years: through this initiative we are contributing over the years to support the most promising ideas and creating a direct connection between Universities and the world of work, supporting not only young people of today but entrepreneurs of tomorrow". (Red)

ABOUT/REQUIREMENTS

Among the requirements for applying for the Simest SpA Award: specialization degree (new order) in economics or engineering, with a vote of not less than 108/110, with title obtained after february 1 2017 and by the expiration date of this announcement. The final evaluation will be on: the originality of the approach, the adequacy of the theoretical reference model for the analysis, the level of in-depth analysis of the issues related to the development of competitiveness of Italian industry in the internationalization process, choice of strategies to adopt for an optimal approach to internationalization and the analysis of empirical evidence (case studies).