OVERVIEW

The teaching introduces the student to the main economic-organizational dynamics of a company, highlighting the role of the expert in the business context, with particular attention to the realization, evaluation of profitability and management of investment projects in terms of corporate "sustainability", and thus beyond the mere technical validity of a proposal.

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

Learning the fundamental concepts of economics and business organization, and acquiring the ability to apply this knowledge to the context of the national and international industrial production system. These concepts include not only the economic sustainability of industrial interventions and strategies, but also the environmental sustainability of such actions, to be assessed using life-cycle based approaches.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

The aim of the course is to provide students with a general overview of the structure of enterprises in the manufacturing sector and with the basic financial issues that affect their business activities, with emphasis on investment projects and environmental compatibility.

Expected learning outcomes:
1. Understand a company's economic and financial information
2. Compare investment projects
3. Monitoring and management of industrial projects
4. Understand the environmental sustainability of a product or production process based on life cycle assessment (LCA)
5. Increased financial awareness for personal and professional purposes
6. Increased awareness of environmental issues related to industrial production

Recommended Professional Profile (for Materials Science and Technology degree)
Materials scientist: specialist in technology

PREREQUISITES

No prerequisite required

TEACHING METHODS

The entire program will be carried out during the lessons.

The notes relating to each lesson will be available on AulaWeb in collections of slides prior to the lesson itself.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

A) The Enterprise system

1. Legal and technological-organizational structure

• Shareholders, Board of Directors, Management, Governance
• Analysis of the activities of a company

2. Business purposes

• Maximization of economic value
• The social responsibility policy

B) Determination of the production level

1. Elements of evaluation of the demand

2. Cost analysis

• Standardization, normalization and modularity
• Economies of scale and learning economies
• Fixed, variable and total costs
• Determination of the break-even point and elasticity analysis
• Cost estimation in the process industry

C) The logic of choices in production companies

1. Funding criteria and constraints

• The financial documents of the companies
• Growth strategies

2. Theory of investments and technological innovation

• Definition of Net Present Value, Discounted Cash Flow and Return on Investment
• Risk and uncertainty assessment

D) The business-environment relationship

1. Environmental externalities

• Examples of allocation of scarce natural goods
• Constraints on the level of pollution: command-and-control legislation and negotiable emission rights

2. Cost-Benefit Analysis

E) Project management

1. Techniques for monitoring results and budget

2. Quantitative tools

• Linear programming: simplex method
• Quadratic programming
• Mathematical programming with equality and inequality constraints
• Branch & Bound method for integer problems

Additional module for students with 6 credits

F) Elements of Life Cycle Assessment (2 credits)

1. Outlines of relevant legislation

2. Logics of assessment of a product or process

3. Creation of a Case Study

• Functional Unit and Inventory of a Study
• Database and Impact Factors
• Analysis and evaluation of results

The teaching contributes to the achievement of the following Sustainable Development Goals of the UN 2030 Agenda:

Goal 4: Provide quality, equitable and inclusive education and learning opportunities for all
Goal 5: Achieve gender equality and emancipate all women and girls

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

G. Azzone e U. Bertelé – L’impresa- Sistemi di governo, valutazione e controllo- 5a Ed. –Rizzoli Etas, 2011

M. Peters, K. Timmerhaus and Ronald West - Plant Design and Economics for Chemical Engineers- 5a Ed. –McGraw-Hill Education, 2003

Notes of the lessons

Supplementary material will be provided on request to working students or students with SLD to meet specific needs.

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

LESSONS

LESSONS START

The class schedule is available at https://easyacademy.unige.it/portalestudenti/

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

Periodic learning checks - Final oral exam.
The oral exam will consist of a series of questions and consequent discussion on the various modules in which the course is organized, in order to evaluate the correct achievement of the learning outcomes (see "assessment methods").
Further information will be provided during the course (during the first lesson, and subsequently at the request of the student).

For students with disabilities or with SLD, the examination methods are consistent with the University regulations for carrying out the exams (https://unige.it/disabilita-dsa).

ASSESSMENT METHODS

The attendance of the lessons constitutes a fundamental prerequisite for the achievement of the learning outcomes of the teaching.
The oral exam will allow the verification of the actual achievement of these outcomes.
At the same time, the student's critical reasoning skills and his ability to answer specific questions in a clear and direct way will be assessed. In particular, the student's ability to apply the theoretical knowledge acquired in response to realistic scenarios or to solve simple problems will also be positively evaluated.
If the learning outcomes are not achieved, the student will be invited to deepen the study and to make use of further explanations by the teacher.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Students who have valid certification of physical or learning disabilities on file with the University and who wish to discuss possible accommodations or other circumstances regarding lectures, coursework and exams, should speak both with the instructor and with Professor Sergio Di Domizio (sergio.didomizio@unige.it), the Department’s disability liaison.