This book is intended as atribute to Gianluca Spina the influential and inspiring Professorof
Business Management & Organization and Supply Chain Management at theSchool of Management of
Politecnico di Milano who very sadly passed away earlyin 2015. It brings together seven of his
most important papers published inrenowned international journals and supplements these
papers with insightfulcommentaries from friends and colleagues who highlight key messages and
valuesof enduring validity. The selected papers offer a clear sense of Spina'sresearch journey
over the years and cover the main research streams thatdistinguished his work. They have also
been chosen on account of their highimpact as reflected by the number of citations received
and to represent the mostimportant research collaborations that Spina had established within
Italyand abroad. An introductory chapter relates his research to major developmentsin the field
of Manufacturing and Supply Chain Strategy and also outlines thevery important contribution
that Gianluca Spina made to Management Education.
