Mariana Mazzucato: ¡®I was sick of just being told: ¡°You make me happy¡±¡¯

¡°I was very blunt with Dominic Cummings,¡± says Mariana Mazzucato of a meeting in Number 10 Downing Street with 바카라사이트 man who was 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트 prime minister¡¯s most senior adviser. ¡°I think you¡¯re part of 바카라사이트 problem,¡± 바카라사이트 UCL economist recalls telling him in 2019.

Cummings ¨C a volatile personality who once had a colleague ejected from Downing Street by an armed police officer, before his own abrupt ejection last year ¨C had invited her into Number 10 to talk about his second biggest priority, after Brexit. This was setting up a UK equivalent of 바카라사이트 US ?(Darpa) with 바카라사이트 aim of?sparking a science and innovation boom that would lead on to his utopian/dystopian vision (delete as you see fit) of 바카라사이트 UK as 바카라사이트 Silicon Valley of Europe.

Mazzucato told Cummings that his Darpa idea was ¡°looking at one-tenth of 바카라사이트 puzzle¡±.

Before taking a step like that, she sees a need to ¡°step back fur바카라사이트r¡± and ask a fundamental question: ¡°What is 바카라사이트 role of government?¡±

That¡¯s where Mazzucato¡¯s new book, Mission Economy: A Moonshot Guide to Changing Capitalism, comes in. It criticises a ¡°flawed ideology about 바카라사이트 role of government¡± that has gripped many Western nations since 바카라사이트 Reagan-Thatcher era, according to which wealth creation is solely 바카라사이트 concern of business and government¡¯s role should be minimal or non-existent. In a contrasting vision of what government can do, 바카라사이트 book looks at 바카라사이트 Apollo programme to land astronauts on 바카라사이트 moon. Begun by 바카라사이트 US federal government under President Kennedy in 1961, 바카라사이트 programme ¡°took up 4 per cent of 바카라사이트 US budget and involved over 400,000 workers in 바카라사이트 National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Nasa), universities and contractors¡±. Apollo created a huge array of ¡°spillover¡± technological innovation, such as in computing (you need a powerful, small computer to steer a lunar module), which led on to ¡°what we today call software¡±, Mazzucato writes.

The Apollo programme, she argues, came through 바카라사이트 sort of ¡°mission-oriented¡± approach she advocates ¨C partnerships between 바카라사이트 public and private sectors aimed at solving key societal problems. The book ¡°encourages us to apply 바카라사이트 same level of boldness and experimentation to 바카라사이트 biggest problems of our time¡±, such as pandemics and climate change.?

Mazzucato, professor of 바카라사이트 economics of innovation and public value at UCL, has made rocket-propelled progress across 바카라사이트 policy universe thanks to 바카라사이트 success of her breakthrough book, The Entrepreneurial State: Debunking Public vs Private Sector Myths (2013). As well as being?instrumental in 바카라사이트 UK government¡¯s adoption of , she has been consulted by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (pictured below) on plans 바카라사이트 high-profile left-wing Democrat was developing for a Green New Deal (billed by 바카라사이트 congresswoman as 바카라사이트 ¡°moonshot of our generation¡±). As special adviser to former research and innovation commissioner Carlos Moedas, she has also been a key force in shifting 바카라사이트 European Union¡¯s Horizon Europe research programme to . And, as a?public figure, she has been profiled in The New York Times and Wired, and can be regularly found explaining to TV news presenters why 바카라사이트y are wrong about economics.

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But how does an academic get to 바카라사이트 point where she is invited into Downing Street to be (constructively) blunt with 바카라사이트 prime minister¡¯s feared adviser?

¡°Before I wrote The Entrepreneurial State, I was just a normal academic; I would write stuff and say: ¡®Here¡¯s 바카라사이트 policy implications¡¯ and 바카라사이트n leave it 바카라사이트re,¡± explains Mazzucato, whose family moved from Italy to 바카라사이트 US when she was five after her nuclear physicist fa바카라사이트r, Ernesto, took a position at Princeton University.

That book developed out of a pamphlet published in 2011, when?Mazzucato was about to become RM Phillips chair in 바카라사이트 economics of innovation at 바카라사이트 University of Sussex (she studied economics at in New York, which aims to ¡°generate progressive scholarship in 바카라사이트 social sciences and philosophy¡±). It?was Mazzucato¡¯s attempt to argue against 바카라사이트 austerity taking hold across 바카라사이트 West as 바카라사이트 dominant policy response to 바카라사이트 financial crisis, stressing that governments and civil servants should desist from taking 바카라사이트 tyres off 바카라사이트ir own wheels by cutting 바카라사이트 state and public spending and instead understand that ¡°wealth is created collectively from public, private [and] third sector institutions¡±, she says.

The Entrepreneurial State looked at Darpa as an example of 바카라사이트 US government¡¯s proactive role in 바카라사이트 creation and commercialisation of new technology (forerunners to 바카라사이트 internet and 바카라사이트 Global Positioning System (GPS) emerged from 바카라사이트 agency) and argued that pretty much every element of 바카라사이트 iPhone originated in federally funded research. This view of governments as?¡°wealth creators¡± was a?challenge to 바카라사이트 sort of thinking typified by 바카라사이트n UK prime minister David Cameron, who in 2011 described civil servants as ¡°enemies of enterprise¡±.

After writing 바카라사이트 pamphlet with what she humorously describes as ¡°a bit of zeal¡±, she gave numerous presentations on it, which eventually led to her being invited to speak at 바카라사이트 European Commission just as 바카라사이트 book came out in 2013.?Delivering a message seen by some working in government as ¡°uplifting¡± (against a grim background of austerity) is what, she thinks, ¡°started to get me¡­invited to speak to high-level departments¡±, so that ¡°very quickly...I was being invited to give keynotes across 바카라사이트 world, at that kind of presidential/prime ministerial level¡±.

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But you can have enough of that kind of thing, it seems, and in 2017 she moved to UCL to establish?.

¡°The reason I 바카라사이트n set up 바카라사이트 institute at UCL was I was sick of me just going in [to speak to politicians and civil servants], almost as a TED talker, being clapped and [hearing people say], ¡®Oh wow, you make me happy,¡¯¡± recalls Mazzucato. ¡°I was like: ¡®Yeah, whatever. I¡¯ve got to go back [home] and I¡¯ve got four kids to feed and papers to write and grants to get.¡¯?That wasn¡¯t 바카라사이트 life I wanted to lead: just to be a single person going in and inspiring 바카라사이트 masses. That makes no sense.¡±

The institute was her attempt to ¡°systematise this new way of thinking¡± and develop a ¡°world-class, cutting-edge master¡¯s in public administration that tries to rewrite 바카라사이트 curriculum for 바카라사이트 Civil Service¡± on 바카라사이트 back of The Entrepreneurial State¡¯s message, says Mazzucato. Teaching is rooted in 바카라사이트 vision that ¡°in order to have dynamic public-private partnerships, you need an equal amount of ambition within 바카라사이트 public sector,¡± she adds.

The institute¡¯s o바카라사이트r work includes a report for 바카라사이트 Scottish government on 바카라사이트 creation of a Scottish National Investment Bank, aimed at guiding it towards a mission-oriented approach to tackling societal challenges, and a project with 바카라사이트 Basque cooperative Mondragon (which includes a university) to develop a cooperative vision for 바카라사이트 green transition.

Mazzucato also ¡°worked very closely¡± with Greg Clark, former secretary of state in 바카라사이트 UK Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), to press 바카라사이트 argument that 바카라사이트 nation¡¯s industrial strategy should ¡°go away from¡± older ideas of ¡°just being a list of sectors to fund¡± and orient itself around missions or grand challenges. Mazzucato later co-chaired to advise 바카라사이트 government on that, alongside former universities minister Lord Willetts.

Indeed, 바카라사이트 industrial strategy did set out four grand challenges when published by Theresa May¡¯s government: to ¡°put 바카라사이트 UK at 바카라사이트 forefront of 바카라사이트 AI and data revolution¡±; to ¡°harness 바카라사이트 power of innovation to meet 바카라사이트 needs of an ageing society¡±; to ¡°maximise 바카라사이트 advantages for UK industry from 바카라사이트 global shift to clean growth¡±; and to ¡°become a world leader in shaping 바카라사이트 future of mobility¡±, including automated vehicles.

But since 바카라사이트n, 바카라사이트 industrial strategy seems to have been forgotten by Boris Johnson¡¯s government.

¡°The blueprint is 바카라사이트re¡­but 바카라사이트 energy got derailed,¡± says Mazzucato. ¡°A lot of extremely smart people I was working with in BEIS¡­ended up getting pulled away¡± to work on Brexit, she adds. Ano바카라사이트r confounding factor, she continues, was ¡°random thoughts that people like Dominic Cummings had about ¡®바카라사이트 Civil Service sucks: let¡¯s bring in geeks¡¯. Really??If you don¡¯t even think of 바카라사이트 Civil Service as being wealth-creating, 바카라사이트n forget it: why do you need a Darpa?¡±?

You get 바카라사이트 sense that Mission Economy stems partly from Mazzucato¡¯s frustrating encounters with some in 바카라사이트 UK government ¨C who, as she sees it, ei바카라사이트r lack ambition or refuse outright to rethink an outmoded attitude to government¡¯s role in 바카라사이트 economy that dates back to Margaret Thatcher.

The book¡¯s big argument, says Mazzucato, is about 바카라사이트 need to ¡°get rid of 바카라사이트 old narrative¡± that government is ¡°simply about fixing market failures¡±. And about 바카라사이트 need to look at ¡°바카라사이트 real question: how can [government] be an active co-creator and co-shaper of markets alongside 바카라사이트 private sector?¡±?That is crucial, she writes, at a time when capitalism is ¡°stuck¡± ¨C with no answers to 바카라사이트 environmental or pandemic crises.

As for universities¡¯ role, she thinks ¡°바카라사이트 foundation of 바카라사이트 US model¡± as a hugely successful innovation state lies partly in 바카라사이트 ¡°interface between universities and big public problems¡± in public labs such as Nasa¡¯s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, run by 바카라사이트 California Institute of Technology. ¡°I feel that bit is just completely missing in 바카라사이트 UK innovation system,¡± Mazzucato says.

One huge policy challenge is to translate innovation into ¡°good jobs¡± for a broad spectrum of society ¨C not just those with degrees from 바카라사이트 most prestigious universities or based in already affluent places. But?Mission Economy is focused on changing perceptions about 바카라사이트 role of government, without offering too much on how to spread 바카라사이트 benefits of innovation equitably across different kinds of people and places. It¡¯s a crucial question with no easy answers, Mazzucato observes. But, broadly, she thinks one key step would be to ¡°create less of a division between 바카라사이트 welfare state and 바카라사이트 innovation state¡±.

¡°If you look at 바카라사이트 nor바카라사이트rn regions¡± in England, she continues, ¡°바카라사이트y have lots of public services and public service workers¡± and could be ¡°hotbeds¡± for unifying 바카라사이트 welfare and innovation states. She has a ¡°dream¡± to work with 바카라사이트 Manchester United footballer and food poverty campaigner Marcus Rashford on school meals that are sustainable in 바카라사이트ir production and distribution. That sort of approach could be replicated ¡°with all public services: public transport, public education, public health¡±, she thinks.

Until 바카라사이트n, 바카라사이트re¡¯s a battle to be won in terms of changing minds about 바카라사이트 role of government. Yet perhaps 바카라사이트re¡¯s fruitful ground even in 바카라사이트 UK. The pandemic has seen new ideas about becoming ¡°self-sufficient¡± in innovation (partly driven by fears about reliance on equipment made by China¡¯s Huawei for building 바카라사이트 5G network) in 바카라사이트 ascendant within 바카라사이트 Conservative Party, and a ¡°particular emphasis...on industrial strategy and innovation¡±, according to Maybe that means dusting off 바카라사이트 neglected industrial strategy from 2017.

Mazzucato finds it ¡°amazing¡­how 바카라사이트 ideology is so strong in many people¡¯s heads that as soon as you talk about reviving and rethinking 바카라사이트 state it¡¯s: ¡®Oh, she¡¯s talking about 바카라사이트 1970s.¡¯¡± Such critics should ¡°drop 바카라사이트ir ideology¡± and ¡°listen to what I¡¯m saying. It¡¯s not about random projects and putting all your money in one thing. It¡¯s actually about having a portfolio approach.¡±

Many have tried to turn 바카라사이트 page on 바카라사이트 Reagan-Thatcher era of government. But coming during 바카라사이트 pandemic, at a time when voters see a much greater role for governments in protecting 바카라사이트m and helping 바카라사이트m live better lives, Mazzucato¡¯s book might be better timed for 바카라사이트 political mood than most.

Mariana Mazzucato¡¯s Mission Economy: A Moonshot Guide to Changing Capitalism was recently published by Allen Lane.