Regional Development Policies in Italy: How to Combine Cultural Approaches with Social Innovation

Over the years, the cultural enterprises sector in Italy has been considered a field of confrontation for regional development policies and institutional reorganizations, with a twofold challenge: experience new entrepreneurial cultures borrowed from other policy fields and enhance a considerable (but hardly recognizable) cultural heritage and assets. This paper intends to analyze the current state of cultural entrepreneurial policy making in Italy by examining critical points in terms of its capacity to (1) produce value, (2) include youth and (3) promote inclusive forms of urban and local developments. By combining these three objectives, the paper aims to outline a general reflection on how innovative organizations and policy tools could be explored to promote a cultural innovation agenda for the country.