Le performance innovative del sistema industriale italiano: confronto con gli altri paesi industrializzati e implicazioni di policy

This paper presents an analysis of the innovative performances of the Italian industrial system compared with the others industrialized countries. The main finding of this analysis is that innovative performances are limited by (a) the large number of small and micro enterprises and, conversely, the smaller percentage of medium and large enterprises; (b) the reduced role of the high and medium-high technology industries and of the knowledge-based services in the economic system; (c) the low tendency of Italian firms to invest in innovation and in R&D compared to the international competitors; (d) the decline of some historical industrial districts. To face this problems Italy needs some policies to increase the demand for innovation and for R&D. We propose (a) to increase the liberalization of the economic system; (b) to improve the efficiency of the financial system and to foster its shift from a “relationship-based” system to an “arm’s length” system; (c) to improve the corporate governance; (d) to sustain the development of a venture capital industry; (e) to adopt some best practices in the public procurement field as leverage to increase the public demand of technologies and innovation; (f) to adopt some best-practices of industrial policy to foster the development of high-technology industry.