The Italian National Innovation System: A Long-term Perspective, 1861-2011

This chapter provides a survey of the long- term evolution of the Italian National Innovation System since the unifi cation of the country in the 1860s. In the fi rst part we sketch a broad reconstruction of long- term trends by examining a wide range of quantitative indicators of science and technological activities in a comparative perspective. On the basis of this quantitative survey, in the second part, we put forward a conjectural interpretation of the fundamental features of the Italian National Innovation System. Our conclusion is that Italy has approached the process of modern economic growth following a peculiar path, characterized by a limited commitment to invest in science and technology, in combination with low real wages and an intense use of unskilled labour. © Ian Inkster and the Contributors, 2014.