Mariana Mazzucato

I’m a Professor in the Economics of Innovation at the Science Policy Research Unit (SPRU) of the University of Sussex. My work is focused on the economics of innovation; finance and economic growth; and the role of the State in modern capitalism.

I advise policy makers around the world on how to achieve economic growth that is both 'smart' - innovation led - and also more inclusive.

My recent book, The Entrepreneurial State: debunking public vs. private sector myths, challenges the image of the lethargic, regulating state versus the dynamic business sector—using historical examples to show how some of the most high risk and courageous investments that led to revolutions in IT, biotechnology and nanotechnology, were sparked by public sector institutions. It offers a new way of thinking about political economy in the 21st century.

My research is currently funded by the Ford Foundation, the European Commission and the Institute for New Economic Thinking.