The Entrepreneurial State: Debunking Public vs. Private Sector Myths

Insightful and important

Mazzucato sheds light on the little talked about and often underestimated role that governments play in innovation. Her overall messages - that the state makes keystone contributions to the innovation process across industries and that the rewards of this innovation accrue largely to the private sector - add a new perspective on a number of public debates. It's an enriching read. But do not expect a comprehensive treatise on the balance between public and private sector participation in innovation. Mazzucato focuses largely on how the state drives innovation. She is careful not to dismiss the importance of businesses, and in the case of Apple she concedes the company deserves credit for the innovative way it integrated various technologies in a well designed and marketed product. But what I missed in this book is a model of how innovation occurs that could help us understand more precisely the interplay between the actors and their relative contributions. This is not to say the book is unfair or imbalanced. I simply see it as the first volume in a new, more nuanced public discussion on innovation that Mazzucato aims to launch with her book. Mazzucato is a clear writer and the book is exceptionally accessible, even though Mazzucato is an academic. What irked me though is that she is at times repetitive. Perhaps you couldn't blame her for trying to drive home her message given how underrepresented it is in public discourse. Read more