Dr. Calabretta, G.

Giulia Calabretta is Associate Professor at the Faculty of Industrial Design Engineering.

Academic Background

I was born and raised in Italy, where I developed my creativity, curiosity and sensitivity for different aspects of design. I decided to cultivate my inclinations in a business context. Thus, my background and career before TU Delft are in the fields of management and marketing. I graduated in Business Administration (minor in Marketing) at Bocconi University in Milan, with a thesis on how iconic fashion designers transfer their stylistic identity into recognizable brands that survive designers’ work life. I then moved to Barcelona, where I got my PhD in Management Science from ESADE Business School. My dissertation studied market acceptance of sustainable technology, with focus on the role of product design. After a two-year Post Doc at BI Norwegian School of Business (in Oslo), I joined TU Delft for doing research on the strategic role of design in companies’ innovation strategy. Over the years I have also being doing some freelance consulting in marketing for education institutions. 

Education

• 2004 - 2009
  PhD in Management Science, ESADE Business School (Barcelona, Spain)

• 1997 – 2003
  BSc and MSc degree in Business Administration, Bocconi University (Milan, Italy)  

Experience

• 2017 – present
  Associate Professor, TU Delft 
• 2011 – 2017
  Assistant Professor, TU Delft 
• 2009  – 2011
  Post Doctoral Fellow and Lecturer at BI Norwegian School of Management (Oslo, Norway) 
• 2007 – 2011
  Freelance Marketing Consultant
• 2005 – 2009
  Lecturer at ESADE Business School (Barcelona, Spain)
• 2003 – 2004
  Research Assistant at CRITOM, Bocconi University (Milan, Italy)  

Specialisation / field of research

My field of research is design management. I am interested in understanding how design skills and methods can be effectively integrated in the strategy and processes of companies, with a particular interest on the role of designers in innovation strategy and early development. Currently I am conducting my research on these topics within CRISP (Creative Industry Scientific Program), where I am project leader for CASD (Competitive Advantage through Strategic Design).

Lectures/Coaches students on

• Lecturer and Course Coordinator for ‘Strategic Value of Design’ (Master in Strategic Product Design)
• Coach for ‘Strategic Product Innovation’ (Bachelor Course)
• Coach graduation students on topics related to design management, design consultancies, innovation strategy, marketing.