Mariana Mazzucato

Mariana Mazzucato, born on June sixteenth, nineteen sixty-eight, is a prominent Italian-American economist and academic renowned for her innovative insights into the dynamics of technological change and the pivotal role of the public sector in fostering innovation. As a professor at University College London, she leads the Economics of Innovation and Public Value program and serves as the founding director of the UCL Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose.

Her scholarly contributions span various fields, including innovation economics, value theory, and political economy, with a recent focus on climate change and the triple planetary crisis. Mazzucato is the acclaimed author of several influential books, such as 'The Entrepreneurial State: Debunking Public vs. Private Sector Myths' and 'The Value of Everything: Making and Taking in the Global Economy.' Her latest work, 'The Big Con,' co-authored with Rosie Collington, critically examines the consulting industry's impact on businesses and government.

Throughout her career, Mazzucato has been dedicated to translating economic theories into actionable policies. She holds several prestigious positions, including membership in the UNESCO High Level Expert Group on Ecosystem Level AI Governance and the WEF Centre for the New Economy and Society Advisory Board. In two thousand nineteen, she was appointed to the Presidential Economic Advisory Council of South Africa by President Cyril Ramaphosa.

Her extensive experience includes co-chairing the G20 Taskforce for the Global Mobilization against Climate Change and the Global Commission on the Economics of Water. Mazzucato has also chaired the World Health Organization's Council on the Economics of Health for All and served on the United Nations' High-Level Advisory Board on Economic and Social Affairs. In recognition of her significant contributions to economic theory and policy, she was awarded the Grande Ufficiale Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana, Italy's highest civilian honor, in two thousand twenty-one.