Francesco Timpano

The Role of Non-Technological Innovations in Services: The Case of Food Retailing

A growing proportion of innovation, especially in consumer‐based industries, is linked to both aesthetic and symbolic components, yet there is still wide uncertainty as to how consumers respond to the design of products and whether their product choices are consistent across product categories. We draw attention to instances whereby less technology‐intensive initiatives can convey innovation in services industries. The focus is on the case of Eataly, a food retailer in which, it is argued, non‐technological innovations have shaped the firms core values and triggered consumer interest towards a supermarket where, besides physical goods, experience has become the object of transaction. By emphasizing the importance for retailers of focusing not only on single products, but also on other dimensions of the firms organization, we intend to contribute to the literature that explores changing facets of innovation in service industries.

Agglomeration Economies and Entrepreneurship in Italy and in Emilia Romagna Region: Empirical Evidences in the Manufacturing Industries

Entrepreneurship is among the most important elements for the evaluation of the local territorial development and it is certainly a meaningful indicator to understand interregional differences in economic development. Traditional explanations of entrepreneurship rely on evaluating the role of characteristics of the macro environment (profitability, labor market) as well as of the micro environment (composition of local industries). In this work an attempt is made to study this second element, deriving from the literature three hypothesis concerning the linkage between agglomeration economies and local entrepreneurship. The three hypothesis are tested applying an empirical model of entrepreneurial choice and using provincial and industrial data, for the Emilia Romagna region and for Italy. The aim is to characterize the industrial environment of Emilia Romagna region, to explain the superior performance of this region, compared to the others of Italy. Results indicate that, differently from the remainder of Italy, provinces in Emilia Romagna benefit from a greater industrial diversification, which definitively stimulates new firms formation.

The Local Provision of Public Services: Municipal Capitalism, PPP’s Schemes and the Regulation Issues in Italy

The issue of the local provision of public services has becoming important in Italy due to several changes that have been implemented in the last years by the national government in the regulation of state owned companies and in the regulation of public services (or services of general economic interest). The regulatory role of national or local government and the increasing role played in some large companies managing important services have to be accurately discussed in order to reconcile efficiency of the companies with the need of properly represent the political orientations. Potential conflict of interests on one side but also the need to properly represent the interest of citizens, more than the interest of shareholders, are two issues that are discussed in the paper. A practical example of a small size Italian town is used in order to show the current situation in terms of regulations, planning of the service, pricing and management of the service in the most important sectors. Competition and public interest are not necessarily in conflict, but the whole setup must be reviewed.