The possible relationship between public procurement and technological innovation in the Italian context

The paper tries to set a framework for the development of public procurement as a driver for technological innovation in the Italian context. It is argued that in the Italian experience public procurement is basically absent from the box of tools of industrial policy makers, in spite of the fact that it has long represented a key strategic factor in the development of technological innovation within important industrial countries. Peculiar emphasis is put on the role which in such perspective should be played by industrial policy authorities as "intelligent customers" able to develop pre-commercial public procurement strategies.