The Entrepreneurial State

From one of the world's leading economists, a bestselling expose of the state's crucial role in sparking innovation and growth - and the dangers of ignoring this truthConventional wisdom holds that innovation is the preserve of the private sector, best left in the hands of that modern day folk hero - the lone entrepreneur. In this popular tale, the role of the public sector is simply to get out of the way, at best fixing market failures, in order to facilitate our daring hero's bold, risk-taking endeavours. But what if this powerful, contemporary myth is wrong?In this sharp and controversial expose, Mariana Mazzucato comprehensively debunks the myth of a lumbering, bureaucratic state weighing down a dynamic private sector, to reveal how public investments have been behind many of the greatest innovations of our time. From the technologies that make the iPhone 'smart', to biotech, pharmaceuticals and today's emerging green technologies, it is the state that has been the investor of first resort, our boldest and most valuable innovator. Meanwhile, the private sector only finds the courage to invest after the State has made the truly pioneering, high-risk investments.

“Read her book. It will challenge your thinking”

Forbes
One of the most incisive economics books in years New York Review of Books
This book has a controversial thesis. But it is basically right Financial Times

Mariana Mazzucato (Author, Preface By)Mariana Mazzucato is Professor in the Economics of Innovation and Public Value at University College London, where she is Founding Director of the UCL Institute for Innovation & Public Purpose. Her previous posts include the RM Phillips Professorial Chair at the Science Policy Research Unit at Sussex University.She is the winner of international prizes including the Grande Ufficiale Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana in 2021, Italy's highest civilian honour, the 2020 John von Neumann Award, the 2019 All European Academies Madame de Stael Prize for Cultural Values, and the 2018 Leontief Prize for Advancing the Frontiers of Economic Thought. Most recently, Pope Francis appointed her to the Pontifical Academy for Life for bringing 'more humanity' to the world.As well as The Entrepreneurial State, she is the author of The Value of Everything- Making and Taking in the Global Economy (2018), Mission Economy- A Moonshot Guide to Changing Capitalism (2021), and The Big Con- How the Consulting Industry Weakens our Businesses, Infantilizes our Governments and Warps our Economies (2023).She advises policy makers around the world on innovation-led, inclusive and sustainable growth. Her current roles have included for example Chair of the World Health Organization's Council on the Economics of Health for All, Co-Chair of the Global Commission on the Economics of Water, Co-Chair of the Council on Urban Initiatives, and member of the South African President's Economic Advisory Council. Previously, through her role as Special Advisor for the EC Commissioner for Research, Science and Innovation (2017-2019), she authored the high-impact report on Mission-Oriented Research and Innovation in the European Union, turning 'missions' into a crucial new instrument in the European Commission's Horizon innovation programme, and more recently, authored a report with the UN's Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) on Transformational Change in Latin America and the Caribbean- A mission-oriented approach.

According to conventional wisdom, innovation is best left to the dynamic entrepreneurs of the private sector, and government should get out of the way. But what if all this was wrong? What if, from Silicon Valley to medical breakthroughs, the public sector has been the boldest and most valuable risk-taker of all? 'Superb ... At a time when government action of any kind is ideologically suspect, and entrepreneurship is unquestioningly lionized, the book's importance cannot be understated' Guardian 'One of the most incisive economic books in years' Jeff Madrick, New York Review of Books 'Mazzucato is right to argue that the state has played a central role in producing game-changing breakthroughs' Economist 'Read her book. It will challenge your thinking' Forbes

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