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Irish President Higgins invited IIPP Director Professor Mazzucato to speak at his seminar
21 November 2019
IIPP Director Mariana Mazzucato delivered a key speech on the need for the state to reclaim its dynamic edge.
On November 12, IIPP Director Mariana Mazzucato was personally invited by Irish President Michael D. Higgins to speak at a seminar at his official residence听脕ras an Uachtar谩in.听
The seminar听discussed the role of the state in addressing the grand challenges of our time, such as: reducing inequality and threats to the planet caused by climate change.听听
滨苍听President Michael D. Higgins鈥櫶�听called 鈥淩e-thinking Economics: The Role of the State鈥� President Higgins referenced听Professor Mazzucato鈥檚 book听鈥�,鈥� which acts as a guidebook for how the state can reclaim its entrepreneurial edge to handle the social and economic objectives of the 21stcentury.听
鈥淚f I could be so bold as to assert what I believe to be the genius of Mariana Mazzucato鈥檚 contribution to this new, heterodox economics: it is in her seeking to uncover where wealth actually emanates, and in her provision of a fundamental re-appraisal of what constitutes real value in the economy,鈥� he added.听
He also said that for this economic paradigm shift to happen, an entrepreneurial state 鈥渁t the centre of social and economic objectives鈥� was vital.
His opening comments were followed by Professor Mazzucato who delivered her speech about the need for the state to move from a conventional market-fixing role to a market-shaping and creating role through bold and ambitious policies that move state capital investment towards innovation, which in turn creates economic growth that can be focused towards everything from education to health.听听
After the event, the Irish Minister for Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform Paschal Donohoe tweeted that Professor Mazzucato鈥檚 contribution to the seminar had changed the debate of/context to public spending and influenced our department鈥檚 decision to increase capital spending.听