When we think about sustainability in tech, we don’t usually focus on the day-to-day trade-offs that engineering and product teams actually face. Since EVOLVE [26], we caught up with Mariachiara Restuccia, Associate Professor of Marketing specialising in Innovation and B2B Marketing, whose panel brought the conversation back down to earth: where emissions really come from, and who is accountable when performance, cost and sustainability collide. True to her self-described identity as a “B2B junkie,” her key takeaway was simple: know your value chain inside out, because hidden costs are lurking beneath the surface.

Can you share a bit about your background?

I am an Associate Professor of Marketing specialising in Innovation and B2B Marketing.

What inspired you to speak at EVOLVE [26]?

An invitation from the best people in town!

What was the key message or idea you most wanted the audience to take away from your talk?

Know your value chain inside out: There are a lot of hidden costs under the surface…

Were there any audience reactions or questions that really stood out to you?

The Aha moment from two attendees who did not expect that there was so much “hidden” B2B transactions making the hidden cost of coding so high.

How does the topic you spoke about connect to your current work or passion projects?

Needless to say, I am a B2B junkie: I am passionate about uncovering the B2B underlying infrastructure of all things innovation, including GenAI.

What emerging trends or challenges in tech (or your field) are you most excited about right now?

The skills gap in education due to the fast tech pace.

What advice would you give to someone looking to make an impact in your area of expertise?

Be curious!

How do you see the future evolving in your industry over the next few years?

If HE survives the perfect storm of the financial issues and GenAI , it will be a whole new way of educating the future generations.

What was your favourite part of the EVOLVE experience?

Having some of my colleagues and students in the audience, connecting with our beautiful tech community.

What’s next for you? Any upcoming projects, initiatives, or goals you’re excited to share?

I took over the role of Academic Lead for Online Distance Learning at my University.

What’s one book, podcast, or resource that’s inpired you recently?

The book Myth-Made Machines.

How can people connect with you or follow your work after the event?

On LinkedIn.

Anything else you would like to share with our community?

I am a big fan of Silicon Brighton. Keep rocking!