Dr. Mariana Mazzucato is a globally influential economist and a leading voice on the intersection of innovation, public value, and sustainable growth. She is the Founding Director of the UCL Institute for Innovation & Public Purpose (IIPP) and is best known for her groundbreaking work challenging conventional economic thinking on value creation. Her research fundamentally redefines the relationship between the state and the private sector in driving innovation.
Mazzucato's intellectual contributions are captured in her four influential books, including the seminal The Entrepreneurial State: debunking public vs. private sector myths and The Value of Everything. Her most recent work, The Big Con, challenges the role of the consulting industry in governance. Her high-impact policy influence is extensive: she has served as Technical Expert to South Africa’s G20 Presidency and authored the defining report on Mission-Oriented Research for the European Commission's Horizon innovation programme.
Her global recognition is vast, having been honored with Italy’s highest civilian distinction, the Grande Ufficiale Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana, and appointed a Commander of the British Empire (CBE) for services to economics in 2025. She has also received the prestigious Leontief Prize for Advancing the Frontiers of Economic Thought. Pope Francis appointed her to the Pontifical Academy for Life, recognizing her mission to bring "more humanity" to the world through economic thought.
As a leading policy advisor, she works with major organizations including the World Health Organization (WHO), where she chairs the Council on the Economics of Health for All, and the Global Commission on the Economics of Water. Her speaking engagements provide policy makers and corporate audiences with a compelling framework for driving inclusive and sustainable growth, demonstrating how purposeful public investment and mission-oriented thinking can solve humanity’s biggest challenges, from climate change to public health crises.
