Template-type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Nicoletta Marigo Author-Name: Chiara Candelise Title: What is behind the recent dramatic reductions in photovoltaic prices? The role of china Abstract: China is the largest solar photovoltaic (PV) producer in the world, with more than 50% of the world?s cell and module production. PV prices have experienced a sharp drop since 2010, reducing manufacturers margins and forcing a number of U.S. and European PV firms to declare bankruptcy. The purpose of this paper is to explore the role played by China in these recent PV dynamics with particular reference to the role of incremental innovation vis-a-vis other factors like scale, vertical integration, cheap labour, favourable governmental policies or market demand/supply dynamics. A framework for analysis based on the "technological capability" (TC) literature combines insights from a survey conducted in China in 2005 with a recent review of the literature and interviews undertaken in 2012 with international PV experts. The paper shows that cheap labour has a marginal role in reducing the cost of the Chinese PV products. Technological innovation, economies of scale, vertical integration and production capacity expansion have been used as strategic tools to reduce costs and gain market shares. A favourable industrial policy, boosted by credit availability, has also been a driver in the growth of the Chinese PV sector and competitiveness. Classification-JEL: Q42, Q41, O53, O30 Keywords: Prezzi fotovoltaico, costi di produzione fotovoltaico, Cina, capacit? tecnologiche, innovazione Note: Pages:5-41 Volume: 2013/3 Year: 2013 Issue:3 File-URL:http://www.francoangeli.it/riviste/Scheda_Rivista.aspx?IDArticolo=49306&Tipo=Articolo PDF File-Format: text/HTML Handle: RePEc:fan:polipo:v:html10.3280/POLI2013-003001 Number: 1 Template-type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: n.d. Title: Mezzi di comunicazione di massa e pluralismo: un approccio economico Abstract: The paper reviews the ongoing economic literature on media markets but with a sharp focus on the pluralism issue. The authors start with the basic economic model to describe how the media market functions and then use the model to illustrate the key economic contributions according to the two-sided market, media bias and media capture. Finally the paper addresses the pluralism issue, incorporating both the provision of and the demand for information. Classification-JEL: D80, L82, Z10 Keywords: Mercato dei media, pluralismo Note: Pages:43-69 Volume: 2013/3 Year: 2013 Issue:3 File-URL:http://www.francoangeli.it/riviste/Scheda_Rivista.aspx?IDArticolo=49307&Tipo=Articolo PDF File-Format: text/HTML Handle: RePEc:fan:polipo:v:html10.3280/POLI2013-003002 Number: 2 Template-type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Pierpaolo Pattitoni Author-Name: Barbara Petracci Author-Name: Marco Savioli Author-Name: Lorenza Zirulia Title: La scelta imprenditoriale: un approccio finanziario Abstract: Entrepreneurship and the creation of new businesses are two key drivers of economic growth and innovation of industries, regions and countries. The paper presents a model of entrepreneurial choice based on the modern portfolio theory. The model has been further developed to take account of the non-marketable nature of business opportunities, given that, traditionally, financial assets are treated as marketable. The extended model indicates that Jensen?s alpha influences the decision of whether or not to launch an entrepreneurial activity. However, Jensen?s alpha depends not only on the entrepreneurial opportunity and efficient portfolio returns, but also on their covariance. In other words, our model emphasizes the importance of factoring in the relationship between the entrepreneurial opportunity and the economy as a whole, an aspect that previous analyses have largely ignored. Classification-JEL: L26, G11 Keywords: Imprenditorialit?, scelte di portafoglio, decisioni d?investimento Note: Pages:71-91 Volume: 2013/3 Year: 2013 Issue:3 File-URL:http://www.francoangeli.it/riviste/Scheda_Rivista.aspx?IDArticolo=49308&Tipo=Articolo PDF File-Format: text/HTML Handle: RePEc:fan:polipo:v:html10.3280/POLI2013-003003 Number: 3 Template-type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Rob Albon Title: Focus on regulation and industrial policies. Australian broadband policy and development Abstract: In 2009 the Australian government launched what it claims to be "the single largest infrastructure project in Australia?s history". The project involves building an ultra-fast national broadband network (the "NBN") relying mainly on fibre-to-the-premises ("FTTP") technology. The project is being built by a government-owned enterprise known as "NBN Co" and, for at least the first eight years, is being funded fully by government. The total government contribution to capital expenditure is estimated at twenty-six billion dollars; with more than twenty billion dollars having been allocated to the project up to 2015-2016 alone. The aims of the project are to increase productivity; to strengthen the Australian economy and to boost future prosperity. While a small number of other countries have deployed FTTP, these have all been substantially private initiatives in very different geographic conditions - Hong Kong, Japan and Korea. Other countries have also been less technologically specific than Australia. Successful countries typically deploy substantial proportions of at least two fixed-line technologies. The Coalition opposition parties will scale the "NBN" back to a mainly fibre-to-the-node ("FTTN") network if successful in the election later this year. Classification-JEL: H54, L96, L98 Keywords: Banda larga, rete, fibra (ottica) fino al nodo, fibra (ottica) fino all?abitazione, DSL, wireless, infrastruttura, investimento, sussidio, analisi costi-benefici, Telstra, NBN Co, Optus Note: Pages:93-115 Volume: 2013/3 Year: 2013 Issue:3 File-URL:http://www.francoangeli.it/riviste/Scheda_Rivista.aspx?IDArticolo=49309&Tipo=Articolo PDF File-Format: text/HTML Handle: RePEc:fan:polipo:v:html10.3280/POLI2013-003004 Number: 4 Template-type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Ruggero Ranieri Title: La vicenda di ILVA e i rischi per il sistema industriale italiano Abstract: The paper analyses developments at ILVA?s steelmaking plant in Taranto. Industrial policies designed to promote the industrialization of Southern Italy, favoured by the DC (Christian Democrats), were behind the decision, taken in 1959, to build a green-field, integrated cycle, steel plant in Taranto. The plant was built by Italsider, a large State-owned steel company of the IRI conglomerate. However, at the time, the market for steel in Southern Italy was very small - even today it remains limited. On the other hand, the output of the Taranto plant was substantial, while successive plant enlargements increased it further to between six and eight million metric tons per year of mainly coil and plate. Most of this output was, and still is, shipped to Northern Italy for reprocessing in other ILVA plants. Therefore, the potential closure of the Taranto plant would be a major blow to not just the local economy, but to Italian industry as a whole. The article covers ILVA?s privatization in 1995, leading to its acquisition by the Riva family, former mini-mill owners, now major European steel producers; it analyses the environmental problems that have since come to light, specifically the plant?s high levels of pollution, their negative impact on nearby urban Taranto, and its outdated units, badly in need of modernization. In 2012, Italian prosecuting magistrates had no option but to impound the entire hot melting shop. The Italian government then passed a law obliging ILVA to implement the latest EU environmental regulations in an effort to prevent the plant from being shut down. Classification-JEL: Keywords: Taranto, ILVA, Riva, siderurgia Note: Pages:117-140 Volume: 2013/3 Year: 2013 Issue:3 File-URL:http://www.francoangeli.it/riviste/Scheda_Rivista.aspx?IDArticolo=49310&Tipo=Articolo PDF File-Format: text/HTML Handle: RePEc:fan:polipo:v:html10.3280/POLI2013-003005 Number: 5 Template-type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Augusto Ninni Title: La cassa depositi e prestiti: il ritorno dello stato-guida (e oltre) in politica industriale. Abstract: Cassa depositi e prestiti (CDP) is an ancient Italian institution which has had an historically leading role in supporting the economy, mainly by financing the building of infrastructures owned by municipalities and local authorities. Ten years ago it became a limited company, even if the majority of its shares was still hold by the Italian Ministry of Treasury. Its task was then broadened to support Italian firms as a development bank. More recently CDP is acting as an important industrial policy player, collecting Italian State?s existing stakeholding in various firms or acquiring minority stakes in private emerging firms. Possible trade-offs between collective interests and management efficiency are discussed. Classification-JEL: L52, G23, D04 Keywords: Politica industriale, finanziamento dello sviluppo, ottica di lungo periodo Note: Pages:141-155 Volume: 2013/3 Year: 2013 Issue:3 File-URL:http://www.francoangeli.it/riviste/Scheda_Rivista.aspx?IDArticolo=49311&Tipo=Articolo PDF File-Format: text/HTML Handle: RePEc:fan:polipo:v:html10.3280/POLI2013-003006 Number: 6