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Copyright

Giovanni Barbieri; Floriana Cerniglia; Franco Mosconi;

Published On

2024-12-11

Page Range

pp. 59–76

Language

  • English

Print Length

18 pages

4. Italy, NRRP, and Industrial Policy

Chapter of: Investing in the Structural Transformation: 2024 European Public Investment Outlook(pp. 59–76)
This chapter assesses the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP) as an industrial policy tool within the Next Generation EU framework, despite limited explicit reference to an industrial strategy. The NRRP emerges during a unique moment for the European Union (EU), characterized by the suspension of the Stability and Growth Pact and the relaxation of state aid restrictions, which have collectively expanded public intervention opportunities. This marks a significant shift from the post-1990s ideological emphasis on competition over state involvement, particularly in Italy, where reductions in capital expenditure since 2009 have constrained public infrastructure and private investment. This chapter delves into the current landscape highlighting the potential for a more effective approach to industrial strategy using public investment. By focusing on “Mission 1” (Competitiveness) and “Mission 4” (Education and Research), the chapter aims to elucidate the NRRP’s industrial policy direction including reinforcing the special economic zones (SEZs) established in 2017.

Contributors

Giovanni Barbieri

(author)
Research Fellow at CRANEC (Centro di ricerche in analisi economica e sviluppo economico internazionale—Research Center in Economic Analysis and International Economic Development) at Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0221-8057

Giovanni Barbieri is a Research Fellow at CRANEC at Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore. He holds a PhD in Institutions and Policies (2017, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milano). He was previously Adjunct Professor of History of International and Commercial Institutions at the University of Palermo (DEMS) and Visiting Scholar at Scuola Normale’s ‘Istituto Ciampi’ in Florence (2022). His main expertises are International Relations Theory and International Political Economy (IPE).

Floriana Cerniglia

(author)
Full Professor of Economics at Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9972-716X

Floriana Cerniglia is a Full Professor of Economics at Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore (Milan) and Director of CRANEC (Centro di ricerche in analisi economica e sviluppo economico internazionale). She is the Co-Editor-in-Chief of Economia Politica (Journal of Analytical and Institutional Economics). She received her PhD from the University of Warwick (UK) and her research interests are in public economics and in macroeconomic policies. She has published in leading international journals and she has coordinated and participated in a number of peer-reviewed research projects.

Franco Mosconi

(author)
Jean Monnet Professor of Industrial Economics at Università di Parma

Franco Mosconi is the Jean Monnet Professor of Industrial Economics at the University of Parma. He is a columnist for the Corriere di Bologna, the Bologna-based daily newspaper of Corriere della Sera. His research areas include European industrial policy and Industrial districts and clusters, topics on which he has extensively published in both national and international literature.