The Privatisation of Knowledge

Massimo Florio is Professor of Public Economics at the University of Milan, Italy and co-Chair of the Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence on European research and innovation policy.

List of Tables. Preface. Acknowledgements. Introduction: science and social justice. Knowledge as an intangible asset. Where is knowledge produced? Innovation and financialisation. The role of government. Science and gambling. Policy failures. A new policy agenda. Notes. The places of knowledge: from Big Science to research infrastructure. Big Science and the military・industrial complex. The “Geneva model” and its evolution. How university research is changing. How R&D is changing within firms. The social impact of research infrastructure. Science for scientists and the creation of human capital. Direct impact on businesses. Cultural impact and social attitudes towards science. Summing up. Notes. Science, inequality, and public policy. The channels of privatisation of knowledge. The new oligopoly and inequality. Corrective policies. Rethinking public enterprise. Internalisation of missions. Ownership and legal form. Governance. Funding. Notes. Biomed Europa: medicines that no one else will give us. Priorities. Industry. Governments. Lessons from the pandemic. A proposal. Social benefits and costs. Appendix: some proposals from the European Commission. Notes. Green Europa: science and technology for saving the planet. What’s wrong with the planet? And why we don’t know enough about the cure. The European Commission’s strategy and its limitations. The role of cutting-edge research and innovation. The role of the European Union and a proposal. Appendix: The European Space Agency model. Notes. Digital Europa: how to get our data back. Introduction. A short history of bits. The digital oligopoly. Missed opportunities. European Commission initiatives and a new proposal. Appendix: Digital Markets Act and Digital Services Act. Appendix: the Fraunhofer model. Notes. Conclusion: what can be done? Note. Bibliography. Index.