Research & innovation policy in the Italian NRRP: an evalutation of emerging challenges for multi-level governance

ABSTRACT The COVID-19 pandemic has severely affected the Research and Innovation (R&I) sector, which is widely recognized as a driver of social and economic recovery, both by public institutions and by scholars. Hence, the pandemic has prompted the European Union to implement a coordinated strategy, one that has created opportunities to support the R&I sector. The Italian National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP), developed by the Conte government and finalized by the Draghi government, represents a potential turning point in defining more suitable governance mechanisms for long-term R&I policies aimed at strengthening sustainability and resilience in Italy. Likewise, events surrounding the Plan were the formal reasons for the appointment of the Draghi government in the first place. By evaluating policy documents and by analysing the preliminary measures adopted, this article analyses the Italian case, which reveals a potential shift. Indeed, while in the pre-COVID period Italian governance was characterized by an approach focussed on the government ministries, reforms triggered by the NRRP have configured a potential multi-level governance approach to the Italian R&I framework. This study also highlights the opportunities and risks of this shift – opportunities and risks that are particularly related to the role of regions and non-state stakeholders in defining appropriate R&I policies.