Stories of Sustainability
Bracco's main factory in Italy was built according to a key principle: do not use greenfield land
In the post-war period, Bracco’s vocation of philanthropy can be seen first and foremost in the concrete focus on its employees: as early as the 1940s, the organization supports the training of its staff, assisting many of its workmen and technicians with higher education or obtaining a degree. Fulvio, ahead of the times, implements a real internal policy which promotes and facilitates workers pursuing an education, guaranteeing the time and financial help to finish their studies. His vision is far-sighted and pioneering, based on the principle that the betterment of the individual means the betterment of the company and of society as a whole.
Indeed, Fulvio Bracco was a pioneer in what is now known as corporate social responsibility, with a special focus on young people which has been one of the common threads of Bracco’s commitment over the entire course of its history. Beginning with the “Nina Bracco Salata” scholarships – named after his mother and launched in 1952 to support deserving youth – they represent the “ancestors” of the future projects that would be created by the Group and particularly by the Foundation.
In the face of numerous difficulties for young people in Italy – difficulties exacerbated by the pandemic – around ten years ago, the Bracco Foundation established the progettoDiventerò, a multi-year initiative that aims to strengthen the relationship between training and the working world and accompany talented youth in their professional careers. As part of the project, the Bracco Foundation supports unique initiatives dedicated to students who, through scholarships and prizes, can enhance their training by combining practical experience and traditional education. The “Diventerò” project is by now a success story that has already awarded over one thousand prizes for degrees, scholarships and doctoral research.
The latest of these initiatives for talented youth is the Felder Award: in 2019, the Bracco Foundation and Bracco Imaging, in collaboration with the Polytechnic University of Milan and the Polytechnic of Milan Foundation, launched a one million euro prize with the aim of bringing back a young, talented scientist to Italy. The award is dedicated to Ernst Felder, a great chemist and head of Bracco research for many years.
