Lucio Picci

Lucio Picci is a Full Professor of Economics at the Department of Economics, University of Bologna, where he has held progressively senior roles since 1992 (Assistant Professor, 1992–2002; Associate Professor, 2002–2011; and current position since 2011). He also served as Director of the Degree in Internet Economics (2004–2007) and Tek Tank Laboratories (2002–2007). His work bridges international organizations and Italian public policy, including roles with the European Commission, World Bank, United Nations, and Italian Anti-Corruption Authority (2019–2022).

Education: Ph.D. in Economics from University of California, San Diego (1996 under Dr. Robert Engle), Master of Arts (1992), Laurea in Political Science (University of Bologna, 1988 with High Honors), and additional studies at Catholic University of Louvain and Universities of Sussex/Hull. He holds advanced language skills in English (C2), Spanish (C1), French (B2), and Russian (B2/C1).

Research focuses on corruption measurement, distributive politics, and governance mechanisms, particularly leveraging e-government technologies. He co-developed the 'Reputation-Based Governance' framework (detailed in his 2011 Stanford University Press book) and created novel corruption metrics validated via Italian data. Major projects include SCALPO (PRIN 2022) and Bridgegap (EU-funded), analyzing legal/political corruption and anti-corruption policy impacts.

Publications include Rethinking Corruption (Cambridge UP, 2024), and contributions to American Journal of Political Science, World Bank Economic Review, and Research Policy. His work frequently addresses governance systems' structural flaws and proposes design-based solutions to enhance transparency and accountability.

Awards include the 2002 ‘Internationalization of scientific research’ award and UCSD’s 1993 Excellence Award. He has advised multinational corporations and government entities on anticorruption strategies, including a 2013–2014 project with University of Rome Tor Vergata.

Grants and advising include leadership in academic plagiarism investigations (2011–2016) and a 2018 candidacy for ISTAT presidency with a reform-oriented platform. He coordinates ‘Work Group 5’ of Uniadrion Virtual University (2004–2007) and collaborates with international think tanks like Consip Public Procurement Agency (2002–2005).