Karen Venturini

Biographical profile

Karen Venturini graduated in Economics and Commerce from the University of Bologna in 1993 and, the following year, obtained a scholarship from the University of San Marino for the reorganization of the accounting and management system of the public administration of San Marino. She obtained a PhD in economic and management engineering from the University of San Marino (XII cycle). In 2009 she won the competition for assistant professor of the Department of Economics and Technology and in 2013 she was a visiting professor at the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore. From 2014 to 2016 she was a member of the Academic Senate of the University and delegated by the Rector for research relations with India and for the promotion and valorization of innovative university projects. In 2017 she was appointed by the Secretariat of State for Culture, University and Technological Research to coordinate the project for the implementation of a national ecosystem for innovation. Since 2020, she has participated as an academic member in the LEI Interdepartmental Group for Gender Equality, the Commission for Equal Opportunities and Inclusion, and the Commission for the Third Mission. From 2019 to 2023, she served as Director of the Confucius Institute of San Marino. In 2023, she was a visiting associate professor at the Indian Institute of Technology in Kanpur and since 2022, she has been a member of the scientific council of the Scuola Normale Superiore di Ingegneria economica gestionale of UNIRSM and a professor of the PhD in engineering economica gestionale.

Main publications

• Venturini, K. (2025). With a mouth full of weapons and capital but a dull imagination. Danilo was right.
  Sweets, Altraeconomia, https://altreconomia.it/con-la-bocca-piena-di-armi-e-capitali-ma-la-fantasia-spenta-aveva-ragione-danilo-dolci/
• Venturini, K, Scatto, M., Pini, B., Bigliardi, B. (2025), Towards sustainability in Space food packaging,
• Space Policy, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.spacepol.2025.101733
• Grosso, C., Scatto, M., Venturini, K. and (2025), Designing for Circularity: Exploring Configurator-Based Decision Support for Eco-design in Food Packaging, in ConfWS'25 – International Workshop on Configuration, 25-26 October, Bologna (Italy).
• Scatto, M., Gaida, R, Kielkiewicz, D., Benedetti, Back, M., Venturini, K. (2025). NIPU based dispersion coating in paper-based packaging solutions, in EPF – European Polymer Congress, 22-27 June, Groningen (Holland).
• Scatto M., Venturini, K., Grosso, C. and Petroni, A. (2025), Forecasting Analysis for Technology-driven transition in Circular Packaging, in IFKAD Conference, Naples (Italy).
• Scatto M., Venturini, K., Sanna D., Tiberino, R. (2025). New Flexible Packaging Solution for Space Mission. A multidisciplinary approach for packaging in space food, 5th International Congress on “Advances in the Packaging Industry”, 27-28 March 2025, Milan, Italy.
• Phani BV, Bhaskar R., Bigliardi B., Venturini K. (2024). Orchestrating Resources in Green Startups: Learning from Case Studies, Sustainability, Vol. 16, No. 22, 9956.
• Petroni, G., Bianchi, DG, Venturini, K. (2024). The space-based solar power systems: state of the art and implications, ISPI 90. Available at: https://www.ispionline.it/en/publication/the-space-based-solar-power-systems-state-of-the-art-and-implications-183944
• Venturini, K., Scatto, M., Bigliardi, B., Pini, B., Dolci, V. (2024). Pursuing sustainability in co-innovation process with AI: evidence from the flexible packaging industry, AiIG Conference, 10-11 October in Palermo.
• Scatto, M., Venturini, K., Dolci, V., Pini, B., Petroni A., Bigliardi, B. (2024). Additive manufacturing in food space: A bibliometric review, In 6th International Conference on Industry 4.0 and Smart Manufacturing – ISM, Prague, Czech Republic 13-15 November 2024
• Venturini, K., Capaldo, G., Palazzi, F., Amatori C, and Capicchioni A. (2024), “Action learning in public administration education: learning (evidence) from an action research case study”, Journal of Workplace Learning , Vol. 36, No. 6, pp 443-459.
• Petroni, G., Venturini K. (2023), “Understanding the obstacles for technological spillover: the case of European Aerospace Missions”, Acta Astronautica, Vol. 204, pp. 443-449
• Bigliardi, B., Bottani, E., Filippelli, S., Tagliente, L. and Venturini, K. (2022), “Is any open innovation pattern emerging in the Italian fashion field? Preliminary evidence from some case studies”, European Journal of Innovation Management, Vol. 25 No. 6, pp. 1076-1105.
• Agostini, L., Nosella, A. and Venturini, K. (2019), “Toward increasing affective commitment in SME strategic networks”, Business Process Management Journal, Vol. 25 No. 7, pp. 1822-1840.
• Venturini, K. and Verbano C. (2016), “Open innovation in public sector: research-based spin-offs resources and performance”, Business Process Management Journal, Vol. 23, No. 6.
• Petroni G., Verbano C. and Venturini, K. (2015), “Determinants and Catalysts in Intra-firm Technology Transfer: Learning from Case Studies”, Journal of Technology Management & Innovation, Vol. 10, No. 1.
• Venturini K. and Verbano C. (2014), “A systematic review of the space technology transfer literature: research synthesis and emerging gaps”, Space Policy, Vol. 30, No.2, pp. 98-114
• Venturini K., Verbano C. and Matsumoto M. (2013), “Space Technology Transfer: Spin-off Cases from Japan”, Space Policy, Vol. 29, No. 1
• Verbano C., Crema M., Venturini, K. (2013), “The identification and characterization of open innovation profiles in Italian SMEs”, Journal of Small Business Management, Vol. 53, No. 4.
• Verbano C. and Venturini K. (2012), “Technology Transfer in the Italian Space Industry: Organizational Issues and Determinants”, Management Research Review, Vol. 35, No. 4, pp. 1-15, ISSN: 2040-8269
• Petroni G., Venturini K. and Verbano C. (2012), “Open innovation and new issues in R&D organization and personnel management”, International Journal of Human Resource Management, Vol. 23, No. 1.
• Verbano C. and Venturini K. (2011), “Development Paths of Risk Management: approaches, methods and fields of application”, Journal of Risk Research, Vo. 14, No. 5-6, pp. 519–550.
• Cantarello S., Nosella A., Petroni G. and Venturini K. (2011), “External technology sourcing: evidence from cases of design-driven innovation”, Management Decision, Vol. 49, No. 6.
• Petroni G., Venturini K. and Santini S. (2010), “Space technology transfer policies: learning from scientific satellite case studies, Space Policy, Vol. 26, No. 2
• Petroni G., Verbano C., Venturini K. and Cantarello S. (2009), Discovering the basic strategic orientation of big Space Agencies, Space Policy, Vol. 25, No. 1
• Verbano C., Venturini K., Petroni G., Nosella A. (2008), “Characteristics of Italian art restoration firms and factors influencing their adoption of laser technology”, Journal of Cultural Economics, Vol. 32, pp. 3-34.

Research interests

Innovation management, technology transfer, sustainable innovation, startups and spin-offs