Sustainable Development Goals and Current Sustainability …
259
Another important opportunity underlying in the SDGs set is the need for collaboration for sustainability, which, from the analysis of the current structure of
PoliTO, is still slow in its implementation (Leal Filho et al. 2018). To this extend,
the mapping exercise did not include initiatives such the recent interdepartmental
research centers, merging different disciplines. Indeed, according to the objectives
of its Strategic Plan, PoliTO tried to turn the interdisciplinary collaboration among
different technological and scientific fields into something more systematic. This
strategic objective was put into action through the establishment and the funding
dedicated to the so-called Interdepartmental Centers.
Through some physical and organization temporary platforms (3/5 year of lifetime), researchers belonging to different Departments interacted and cooperated with
the aim of combining competences and producing knowledge in the field of the socalled breakthrough technologies; making the reputation and the visibility of University grow in the areas of strategic interest at a local and a national level; enhancing
relationships with the most prestigious international institutions. The Interdepartmental Centers turned to be the result of two different selection approaches. In the
first approach (called Top Down), the University Governing Bodies performed the
role to detect the strategic topics (Energy, Additive Manufacturing, Mobility; Urban
Challenges/Cultural Heritage, Data Science/Big Data and Internet of Things), where
PoliTO is considered to be leader at an international level.
Within the same five thematic fields, other five interdisciplinary groups of
researchers were created and involved in the second approach (called Bottom Up),
where they proposed interdisciplinary research topics autonomously. The results are
therefore market-oriented, and not SDG oriented, meaning that it will be difficult to
implement the implicit logic of SDGs, where the goals depend on each other and not
by financial leverages. If PoliTO and the other technical universities do not undertake
the real challenge behind the SDGs strategic guidelines, it will lost the opportunity
to be a critical stakeholder in shaping the future of University as the driving force
for a low carbon, just and human society.
A last issue popping out from the mapping exercise was that, apart from the communication fields, none of the working team is effectively collaborating with the
others in pursuing some concrete objectives. The SDG’s underling need of collaboration is a crucial to achieve a common agreement for deciding a direction to take
for funding distribution and organizational change. Materiality matrix, focus groups
and workshop may favor the creation of concrete of goals adapted to a university
dimension, where, for instance, the SDG 3, “Good health and well-being”, can be
scaled to a local dimension and be translated into welfare initiatives for students
and staff, and in turn be connected to SDG 11 initiatives on teaching urban models
fostering active lifestyles and architecture regenerative sustainability (Brown 2016;
Sonetti et al. 2018).
Collaboration is also indispensable in current European research funding policy.
In Horizon 2020, collaborative research is at the core of its Societal Challenges
pillar. Here, the Commission have identified seven challenges which are of pressing,
international concern, and which, as such, require collaboration to be addressed.
This collaboration will not only span countries, but disciplines and sectors too, to
259
Another important opportunity underlying in the SDGs set is the need for collaboration for sustainability, which, from the analysis of the current structure of
PoliTO, is still slow in its implementation (Leal Filho et al. 2018). To this extend,
the mapping exercise did not include initiatives such the recent interdepartmental
research centers, merging different disciplines. Indeed, according to the objectives
of its Strategic Plan, PoliTO tried to turn the interdisciplinary collaboration among
different technological and scientific fields into something more systematic. This
strategic objective was put into action through the establishment and the funding
dedicated to the so-called Interdepartmental Centers.
Through some physical and organization temporary platforms (3/5 year of lifetime), researchers belonging to different Departments interacted and cooperated with
the aim of combining competences and producing knowledge in the field of the socalled breakthrough technologies; making the reputation and the visibility of University grow in the areas of strategic interest at a local and a national level; enhancing
relationships with the most prestigious international institutions. The Interdepartmental Centers turned to be the result of two different selection approaches. In the
first approach (called Top Down), the University Governing Bodies performed the
role to detect the strategic topics (Energy, Additive Manufacturing, Mobility; Urban
Challenges/Cultural Heritage, Data Science/Big Data and Internet of Things), where
PoliTO is considered to be leader at an international level.
Within the same five thematic fields, other five interdisciplinary groups of
researchers were created and involved in the second approach (called Bottom Up),
where they proposed interdisciplinary research topics autonomously. The results are
therefore market-oriented, and not SDG oriented, meaning that it will be difficult to
implement the implicit logic of SDGs, where the goals depend on each other and not
by financial leverages. If PoliTO and the other technical universities do not undertake
the real challenge behind the SDGs strategic guidelines, it will lost the opportunity
to be a critical stakeholder in shaping the future of University as the driving force
for a low carbon, just and human society.
A last issue popping out from the mapping exercise was that, apart from the communication fields, none of the working team is effectively collaborating with the
others in pursuing some concrete objectives. The SDG’s underling need of collaboration is a crucial to achieve a common agreement for deciding a direction to take
for funding distribution and organizational change. Materiality matrix, focus groups
and workshop may favor the creation of concrete of goals adapted to a university
dimension, where, for instance, the SDG 3, “Good health and well-being”, can be
scaled to a local dimension and be translated into welfare initiatives for students
and staff, and in turn be connected to SDG 11 initiatives on teaching urban models
fostering active lifestyles and architecture regenerative sustainability (Brown 2016;
Sonetti et al. 2018).
Collaboration is also indispensable in current European research funding policy.
In Horizon 2020, collaborative research is at the core of its Societal Challenges
pillar. Here, the Commission have identified seven challenges which are of pressing,
international concern, and which, as such, require collaboration to be addressed.
This collaboration will not only span countries, but disciplines and sectors too, to