Abstract

This is a premise to a series of papers aimed at stressing the role that public procurement may play (and actually plays within specific industrial systems) as to the development and diffusion of innovative practices within manufacturing industry. The issue is addressed from the point of view of the guidelines for industrial policy recently set by National Authorities in the Italian experience. Among the papers a survey of the activity of the Italian Agency for public procurement (Consip) is included, in order to provide an overall framework about the "tools" at disposal of Public Authorities in the field of public procurement in the Italian context.