Her work has challenged orthodox thinking about the role of the state and the private sector in driving innovation; how economic value is created, measured, and shared; and how public policies can be designed in a “mission-oriented” way to solve the great challenges facing humanity. This approach has conceptually inspired public innovation programs worldwide, including València Climate Mission 2030, in which the Universitat Politècnica de València plays a key role.

Mariana Mazzucato is the author of several highly influential works on innovation, four of which have been translated into Spanish. Among her most notable books are:

• The Entrepreneurial State: debunking public vs. private sector myths (2013)

• The Value of Everything: making and taking in the global economy (2018)

• Rethinking Capitalism: Economics and Policy for Sustainable and Inclusive Growth (with Michael Jacobs)

• Mission Economy: a moonshot guide to changing capitalism (2021)

Dr. Mazzucato has been described by The New Republic as one of the “three most important thinkers about innovation”. She has received numerous international awards, including the 2020 John von Neumann Award and the 2018 Leontief Prize for Advancing the Frontiers of Economic Thought.

Currently, Dr. Mariana Mazzucato serves as an advisor to various organizations and authored the high-impact report for the European Commission on Mission-Oriented Research and Innovation in the European Union. She also acts as Special Advisor to the Secretary General of the OECD, contributing to the OECD’s New Growth Narrative.

Awarding her the title of Doctor Honoris Causa from our university would not only provide a great stimulus to the social sciences, but also to all the groups, institutes, centers, departments, and schools at the Universitat Politècnica de València that work toward mission-oriented innovation aligned with key objectives such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)—in full coherence with our Strategic Plan for advancing society.