Why doesn't the government just get out of the way and let the private sector -- the "real revolutionaries" -- innovate? It's rhetoric you hear everywhere, and Mariana Mazzucato wants to dispel it. In an energetic talk, she shows how the state -- which many see as a slow, hunkering behemoth -- is really one of our most exciting risk-takers and market-shapers.

Mariana Mazzucato: Government -- investor, risk-taker, innovator

Government -- investor, risk-taker, innovator

Rethinking the state's role from market fixer to risk-taker could lead to a more inclusive, sustainable future of innovation.

State-funded innovations like the Internet and GPS have shaped today's technological landscape, challenging private sector myths.

Governments, not just private companies, take significant risks in innovation, suggesting a reevaluation of public sector contributions.

Breakthrough technologies like the Internet, GPS, and even the iPhone’s touchscreen sprang from bold government investment, not just private ingenuity. Public funds took on the riskiest bets, often years before markets or venture capital caught up. By framing the state as merely a slow fixer instead of an active creator, societies miss out on the benefits of true public-private partnership. Rethinking how governments share both the risks and rewards of innovation could lead to smarter, fairer growth.

The State Is The Hidden Engine Behind Breakthrough Innovation

*The Value of Everything*

*The Entrepreneurial State: Debunking Public vs. Private Sector Myths*