Mariana Mazzucato is a Professor in the Economics of Innovation in the Science Policy Researah Unit (SPRU) of the University of Sussex. Her work is focused on the economics of innovation; finance and economic growth; and the role of the State in modern capitalism.
She advise policy makers around the world on how to achieve economic growth that is both 'smart' - innovation led - and also more inclusive.
Her recent book, The Entrepreneurial State: debunking private vs. public sector myths, challenges the image of the lethargic, regulating state versus the dynamic business sector—using historical examples to show how some of the most high risk and courageous investments that led to revolutions in IT, biotechnology and nanotechnology, were sparked by public sector institutions. It offers a new way of thinking about political economy in the 21st century.