In Italy the examples of evaluation of local policy for innovation are very few. As an impact assessment is possible only if the number of centres to examine is little, this analysis has chosen a monitoring evaluation and, particularly, the reorganization of the matter regarding innovation...

This paper represents a survey of the recent initiatives of technology foresight in Europe. After the decline of forecasting techniques and the first experiments in Japan and the United States, technology foresight has been adopted in several European countries. However only in the 90's, under...

The Italian machine-tool industry has entered into an extremely delicate phase, regardless of the cyclical trend of demand. During the 80's the qualitative level of Italian production has increased, as demonstrated by the position of second largest European exporter, after Germany, and fourth...

A new approach of the innovation policies at the local level is concerning the creation of regional innovation systems. In Italy however the district level seems to be more adequate for the public intervention to capture the specific sectorial and local nature of the innovation process. In the...

Selling directly to consumers is based on a quality convention (Eymard-Duvernay, 1989) related to social relationships, shared values and beliefs (Bénézech et al., 2008). This channel sales, concerning the relationships proximity, reports an increasing relevance on the multifunctional...

The UK is the European country that moved more resolutely his policy for innovation towards the market. Here are analyzed recent changes concerning the public research system, the support to the innovation in SMES, the technological transfer. These changes have however caused conflicting...

Since last century the technological innovation has been one of the most important topics of the policies made by the German governments. After the II World War this interest involved also the regional governments who did not hesitate to adopt political measures parallel or in contrast with...

The mechanical engineering is one of the leading industries of Europe. A very successful case is represented by the Italian packaging machinery industry that passed through the last recession without relevant consequences. This is largely due to the evolution of the original district of Bologna...

In this paper the analysis of the Italian system of industrial districts is carried on in the light of the more general crisis of Europe in terms of innovative capabilities and employment creation. Nevertheless the recent positive trend of Italian districts, the institutional context in which...

Nowadays the Government of industrialised countries, in presence of reduced public funds, has to manage the public research laboratories to increase the efficiency and research performance, necessary to the competitiveness of firms and of economic systems. The purpose of this paper is to...