Francesco Losurdo

University-Industry Collaboration in the European Regional Context: The Cases of Galicia and Apulia Region

Universities are one of the key actors within national and regional innovation systems. The nature of university-industry collaboration has changed during the last decades and it varies across countries and regions. Different factors determine the interaction among both organizations, from those related to the industrial structure of the territory to others related to institutional and legal frameworks. In this paper we aim at adding to the understanding of this process based on the comparison between two European regions, Apulia in Italy and Galicia in Spain. Our results show that a progressive transition from a separated to a more integrated approach has occurred at the relational framework affecting universities and industry in both regions. Public policies, particularly from the regional level, have been relevant for promoting university-industry collaboration in Galicia and Apulia. Nevertheless, there still remain cultural and institutional barriers, both from the academy and business sphere, which impede a closer and more fruitful interaction. Besides, the poor innovative culture of traditional industries which dominate in both regions, might affect university-industry interaction. However, an adjustment of the university offer in terms of research is also needed as we observe that collaboration is too much biased by the university scientific and departmental specialization and too little by local and regional industrial specialization.

Italian Subsidy System to Firms: Between Targets of Efficiency and Effectiveness*

EU member states subsidise firms to varying degrees, with many more laws and measures supporting economic activity in the less developed countries of the union. A government report reveals that in Italy in 1999 there were 92 laws and measures regarding subsidies granted by central government and 373 by the regions. In 2000, when the transfer of administrative functions from Central Government to the regions really took effect with Decree 112/98, state subsidy measures and laws went down to 51, while regional subsidy measures went up by 18 to 391. This increase in measures is considered risky for firms - encouraging entrepreneurs to mistake market “signals” and predict lower or higher growth rates than is considered optimal. When the subsidy system is not supported by good selection process, it becomes both inefficient and ineffective. Promoting the start up of firms and temporary employment in the short term, the subsidy system fails to strengthen firms in the medium to long term, as has been shown by the following survey of 18 firms in the region of Apulia, southern Italy, subsidised by law 488/92. While increasing subsidies may be profitable and effective from a macro point of view, the problem is to reach efficiency targets from a micro point of view. Under what conditions can these different goals be achieved?

Rural-industrial policy as a multi-outcome path in the post crisis era

In this paper we discuss the role of industrial policy trying to overcome the traditional method based on sectors and factors. We adopt a kind of holistic method whose pillars are the rules and the tools on one side and the relationships between firms and other social-economic institutions on the other side. Through a process based on a stronger organisation and shared agreements among stakeholders, agriculture could be converted into a rural system. This last is the hardest step if we consider the governance capacity is largely missing. The Common Agricultural Policy does not suggest any model but highlights best practices according to the basic principles of the European Community. Conversely, the CAP enhances the risk of growth of rural components not so strong in agricultural production and does not strengthen agricultural areas having a weaker ability to self-organise their growth although mainly oriented to food production.