Mariana Mazzucato

Mariana Mazzucato serves as Professor of the Economics of Innovation and Public Value at University College London's Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose (IIPP), within the Faculty of Social and Historical Sciences. Previously holding positions at SPRU (University of Sussex) and The Open University, she directs IIPP as a global hub for reimagining state-led innovation.

Her research centers on mission-oriented industrial strategy, demonstrating how public institutions can actively shape markets to solve societal challenges. Core themes include:

• Reframing the state as an entrepreneurial investor in high-risk innovation
• Designing public value metrics beyond GDP
• Building state capacity for climate transition and digital sovereignty
• Exposing consultancy-driven erosion of government capability

Analysis of her 15 most recent publications reveals dominant focus areas:

• 60% address climate policy and green growth narratives
• 25% examine digital sovereignty and European security
• 15% analyze pandemic response and institutional reform

Her work consistently argues that markets don't emerge organically but are co-created through state-led directionality.

Mazzucato's advising philosophy emphasizes mission-driven collaboration: She structures IIPP projects around concrete societal goals (e.g., zero-carbon cities), requiring teams to integrate technical, financial, and governance dimensions. Her approach prioritizes transformative outcomes over publication counts, with student projects directly informing policy proposals for governments worldwide.

The Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose operates as her primary research vehicle, developing practical tools like the Mission-Oriented Innovation Toolkit adopted by the European Commission. IIPP's work focuses on rebuilding state capacity through three pillars:

• Strategic investment in foundational technologies
• Institutional redesign for adaptive governance
• Value-based metrics tracking societal outcomes