Mariana Mazzucato Wins New Statesman SPERI Prize

The inaugural New Statesman SPERI Prize for Political Economy has been awarded to Mariana Mazzucato, Professor in the Economics of Innovation at the University of Sussex and IKD Visiting Professor.

The prize, launched by the New Statesman magazine and the Sheffield Political Economy Research Institute (SPERI), is awarded to the scholar who has succeeded most effectively in disseminating original and critical ideas in political economy to a wider public audience.

The jury commented, 'Mariana is an accomplished broadcaster and writer, and her 2013 book The Entrepreneurial State contained a wealth of examples showing how the state – not just the private sector – could foster innovation.'

Professor Mazzucato responded, 'I am honoured and delighted to receive the New Statesman SPERI prize, especially given the high calibre of the shortlist. I hope it will help focus attention on the urgent need to tackle rising inequality.'

In an engaging and challenging prize lecture, Smart Growth: an Innovative Way to Tackle Inequality, Marianna summarised the key points of her work and discussed the imbalances in the public and private risks and rewards from innovation, the roles that both sides should play and the implications for redistribution and engendering inclusive growth in the UK, Europe and the US.

Read more about the award or listen to the prize lecture.