Nanotechnologies and nanosciences in a regional context: The case of Italian Region Piedmont

Aim of this work is understanding whether innovation related to Nanosciences and Nanotechnologies (nst) in an Italian Region, Piedmont, a Region of ancient industrialization nowadays described as «Region in Industrial Transition», can have an active role in supporting regional industrial development. To this end it describes, using a mixed qualitative and quantitative methodology, the main actors at regional level: public and private research, firms exploiting nst technologies, public policies, and specific infrastructures. Then, it analyses their role and their mutual connections. The interpretative framework is that of Regional Innovation Systems. Results show the presence of strong research activity coupled with some proactivity in the industrial environment, leading to the result that nst are industrially exploited in the region. Nevertheless, it is difficult to attain conclusive quantitative findings, mainly due to the pervasiveness of nst that causes their embeddedness in products and processes.