Direct public support for business R&D is a well-established remedy to market failures, yet empirical evidence on its effectiveness yields conflicting results. The paper investigates the impact of the first European public R&D grant program targeting small and medium enterprises (i.e. the SME...

Over the last ten years, innovation vouchers have become a frequently used instrument of the innovation policy mix of EU countries. Vouchers help stimulate collaborative research and innovation activities among small and medium sized enterprises and research organizations. This article analyses...

This paper analyses the impact of the Italian Startup Act which entered into force in December 2012. This public policy provides a unique bundle of benefits, such as tax incentives, public loan guarantees, and a more flexible labor law, for firms registered as "innovative startups" in Italy....

This document presents nine innovation policy initiatives from different OECD countries that support research and innovation for sustainable development by embracing systemic solutions to address the challenge. The three types of initiatives reviewed include: i) grant schemes that support the...