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The book aims to outline a possible firm model capable to contribute to the socio-economic development of its territory. The first chapter, rooting in a wide literature review, analyses the territory as a multidisciplinary concept. The second chapter develops a taxonomy of firms depending on the role they play towards the territory, i.e. in relation to how they read, interpret, live and how they are related with the territory. Then it proposes a sustainable business model called metaphorically Arbor Vitae. The third and final chapter presents four case studies based on in-depth interviews and on focus groups made with the owners and to certain stakeholders of the selected companies. The empirical analysis carried out on four Italian secular companies in the manufacturing sector -the Pontifical Marinelli Foundry, the Barone Ricasoli, The Grazia company of Deruta and the Amarelli - allows us to verify whether and how the business actually embody the peculiar characters of the Arbor Vitae model proposed in the previous chapter.

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Cristina Simone, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Management at Sapienza University of Rome. She is authors of many international and national scientific publications and she is member of the board of Directors of the Center of Research and Services on Sustainable Development and Innovation (Cersites) Sapienza University.

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