This paper provides a statistical overview of the extent and composition of publicly-funded loans granted by banks to Italian firms. The analysis is based on the universe of reports to the Central Credit Register (CR). Between 1998 and 2007 the subsidized loans recorded by the CR amounted to...

This paper investigates the effects of subsidies on the investment decisions of a sample of Italian manufacturing firms. We use survey information on firms' subjective evaluations of the investment they would have undertaken without financing, finding that subsidies have limited effectiveness as...

The Economy of the Italian Regions in the year 2006 analyzes the evolution of production, labour market, financial aggregates and regional public finances in the four main Italian territorial areas. Topics analyzed focus on structural change in the Italian economy; trends in Mezzogiorno's...

In this paper we study a policy tool called technology districts, implemented in Italy over the last decade to foster local innovation activity. First, we examine the characteristics of technology districts and those of the firms within them. Next, we assess the performance of district firms. We...

The Economy of the Italian Regions in the year 2005 analyzes the evolution of production, labour market, financial aggregates and regional public finances in the four main Italian territorial areas. Topics analyzed focus on structural change in the Italian economy; trends in Mezzogiorno's...