THE BLUE ECONOMY: A BETTER STEWARDSHIP OF OUR SEAS AND OCEANS AS A LONG-TERM STRATEGY TO SUPPORT SUSTAINABLE GROWTH

Lo sfruttamento delle risorse naturali ha rappresentato la caratteristica principale dello sviluppo economico e del commercio per la maggior parte della storia mondiale. Attualmente, e\u300 generalmente accettato che lo sviluppo economico in tutto il mondo sia la causa dell\u2019esaurimento irreversibile delle risorse naturali, del degrado ambientale e della conseguente minaccia per le generazioni future. Ci\uf2 costituisce le ragioni chiave e le sfide per ripensare i modelli economici. Le risorse ambientali sono considerate oggi come beni economici e vengono chiamate \u201ccapitale naturale\u201d. Questo vale in particolare per i mari e gli oceani. I mari e gli oceani coprono piu\u300 del 70% della superficie terrestre e sono fondamentali per garantire alcuni dei bisogni fondamentali della societa\u300. Contengono il 97% di tutta l\u2019acqua del pianeta e sostengono l\u201980% di tutte le forme di vita. Questi vasti ecosistemi sono tra i piu\u300 grandi pozzi di carbonio del mondo, producono la meta\u300 dell\u2019ossigeno che respiriamo e sono la fonte primaria di proteine per piu\u300 di 3 miliardi di persone. I mari e gli oceani sono anche il tessuto di una grande industria che solleva questioni di sostenibilita\u300 ambientale e sociale. Quest\u2019ultime sono al centro dell\u2019agenda dello sviluppo sostenibile delle Nazioni Unite (ONU) entro il 2030 e non sono compatibili con un sistema incentrato sull\u2019abuso e sullo sfruttamento dell\u2019ambiente. Una gestione efficiente e sostenibile del capitale naturale degli oceani \ue8 quindi un obiettivo politico critico per il processo e il progresso economico. Di fatto, la crescente consapevolezza delle intense pressioni che impattano sul degrado ambientale marino ha portato gli organismi di governance stabiliti negli ultimi decenni a definire strumenti e meccanismi che permettano la conservazione e lo sviluppo piu\u300 sostenibile del vasto capitale naturale che il mare e gli oceani offrono. Proprio in questa fase di ridimensionamento e di transizione verso una nuova economia sostenibile basata sugli ecosistemi marini, emerge il nuovo concetto della \u201cBlue Economy\u201d (BE). La BE ha recentemente guadagnato una notevole attenzione nelle agende politiche e accademiche, in linea con l\u2019espansione della sua rilevanza rispetto ai settori economici tradizionali. Le strategie di implementazione della BE rientrano negli Obiettivi di Sviluppo Sostenibile (SDGs) delle Nazioni Unite, in particolare l\u2019SDG 14 \u201cLife Below Water\u201d. L\u2019SDG 14 mira, tra le altre cose, alla prevenzione e ad una riduzione significativa dell\u2019inquinamento marino, alla gestione sostenibile, nonch\ue9 alla conservazione delle aree e degli ecosistemi marini e costieri, alla minimizzazione e reversione degli impatti dovuti all\u2019acidificazione degli oceani, a far fronte alla pesca eccessiva, illegale e non regolamentata, all\u2019aumento delle conoscenze scientifiche e al trasferimento di tecnologie marine sostenibili. Come tale, incorporato in queste ambizioni piuttosto all\u2019avanguardia e\u300 il principio (e la necessita\u300) che assicurare la crescita economica e l\u2019occupazione devono andare di pari passo con l\u2019imperativo della protezione e ripristino degli ambienti naturali e della lotta al cambiamento climatico. La BE permette di generare valore dagli oceani attraverso l\u2019attuazione di pratiche sostenibili e nel rispetto della loro capacita\u300 di rigenerazione. Questo implica che l\u2019impatto della produttivita\u300 economica generata delle attivit\ue0 umane deve necessariamente garantire la salute e la salvaguardia degli oceani nel tempo. Sia i settori consolidati o tradizionali che quelli emergenti e innovativi della BE offrono importanti fonti di sviluppo economico sostenibile. I primi includono e riguardano le risorse marine viventi e non viventi, le attivita\u300 portuali, la cantieristica navale, il trasporto marittimo e il turismo costiero. I secondi includono l\u2019energia marina rinnovabile, la bioeconomia e le biotecnologie blu, i minerali marini, la desalinizzazione, la difesa, la sicurezza e la sorveglianza marittima, la ricerca e l\u2019istruzione, le infrastrutture e la robotica marina. Questi settori rappresentano un potenziale significativo per la transizione verso una crescita economica sostenibile, e per la creazione di nuovi posti di lavoro. Ad oggi, i settori tradizionali della BE contribuiscono a circa 1,5% del PIL dell\u2019Unione europea a 27 (UE-27) e forniscono circa 4,5 milioni di posti di lavoro diretti, cioe\u300 il 2,3% dell\u2019occupazione totale dell\u2019UE-27. Mentre i settori innovativi emergenti, come per esempio le fonti di energia rinnovabile derivata dall\u2019oceano o le biotecnologie blu contribuiscono alla creazione di nuovi mercati e posti di lavoro. Ci\uf2 senza contare gli effetti indiretti e indotti sul reddito e l\u2019occupazione. In questo contesto, la presente dissertazione ha due scopi principali. Il primo, quello di presentare lo stato dell\u2019arte sulla BE nel mondo, mettendo in evidenza le sfide, le opportunita\u300, le tendenze e il potenziale per uno sviluppo sostenibile. Il secondo, quello di servire come uno strumento di valutazione solido e in grado di favorire decisioni informate per definire nuove politiche e iniziative pertinenti. La ricerca si \ue8 sviluppata nell\u2019ambito del programma di dottorato industriale Eureka, co-finanziato dalla Regione Marche insieme all\u2019ISTAO - Istituto Adriano Olivetti, una tra le piu\u300 antiche scuole manageriali d\u2019Italia, fondata nel 1967 dall\u2019economista Giorgio Fua\u300. Il capitolo I della tesi e\u300 una revisione della letteratura che colma il gap su come la BE possa rappresentare un modello di sviluppo economico per le istituzioni e le imprese. Lo fa adottando un approccio esplorativo per la raccolta e la revisione di una serie di contributi scientifici da considerare come piu\u300 significativi e piu\u300 rilevanti per analizzare come il concetto di BE si lega alla recente letteratura sullo sviluppo economico. Nello specifico, l\u2019approccio esplorativo e\u300 stato progettato sulla base di una serie di criteri individuati in conformita\u300 con gli obiettivi dell\u2019indagine: 1) inquadrare e valutare lo stato dell\u2019arte sulle politiche e iniziative intraprese a livello globale; 2) rilevare le criticita\u300 e le sfide nell\u2019attuazione di tali politiche e iniziative; 3) identificare le implicazioni e suggerimenti a livello di policy. Il capitolo II contribuisce alla letteratura emergente sullo sviluppo di una BE partecipativa presentando un modello innovativo a quadrupla elica. Questo modello non solo mette in collegamento i governi nazionali con il mondo accademico, le imprese e gli utenti, ma agisce anche come un driver che favorisce l\u2019esposizione internazionale del paese in questo specifico settore. Attraverso un approccio esplorativo basato su una ricerca desk integrata da interviste semi-strutturate con otto esperti, il modello e\u300 testato a Qingdao, una citta\u300 all\u2019interno della Blue Economic Zone nella provincia dello Shandong, in Cina. Nel capitolo III, viene analizzata la risposta cinese alla \u201cDecade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development 2021-2030\u201d, il \u201cDecennio del Mare\u201d delle Nazioni Unite. L\u2019analisi di documenti ufficiali di pianificazione strategica rivelano che i leader politici cinesi attribuiscono grande considerazione e importanza agli oceani per la sopravvivenza e lo sviluppo della societa\u300 umana. Dal lancio del \u201cDecennio del Mare\u201d, che rappresenta un\u2019importante risoluzione adottata delle Nazioni Unite per promuovere lo sviluppo sostenibile degli oceani, nonch\ue9 la piu\u300 importante iniziativa che esercitera\u300 un impatto di vasta portata sul progresso della scienza e della governance marina globale, varie iniziative sono state intraprese dalla Cina per sostenere il suo impegno basato sulla cooperazione per la protezione ecologica degli oceani. Il capitolo IV conduce un\u2019investigazione sull\u2019industria della cantieristica navale nella Regione Marche. L\u2019importanza del settore nel tessuto industriale regionale, in particolare nella costruzione di superyacht, ha suggerito un approfondimento mirato a valutare in che modo l\u2019industria cantieristica possa rappresentare un driver per lo sviluppo della subfornitura artigianale, altamente qualificata e tecnologicamente avanzata, che l\u2019ecosistema industriale della regione e\u300 gia\u300 in grado di fornire. Nella stesura di questo contributo, realizzato insieme ai colleghi dell\u2019ISTAO per conto della Fondazione Marche, \ue8 stato fatto ampio ricorso ai piu\u300 recenti studi sulla cantieristica navale. \uc8 stata poi realizzata un\u2019indagine di approfondimento che ha previsto una serie di interviste semi-strutturate con i vertici dei cantieri regionali e con una campionatura di subfornitori e aziende pi\uf9 rappresentativi, insieme all\u2019incontro con alcuni testimoni privilegiati del settore.Natural resource exploitation has been the main feature for economic development and trade for most of global history. At present, it is generally accepted that economic development around the world is leading to the irreversible depletion of natural resources, environmental degradation and consequent threat to future generations, which are key reasons and challenges for rethinking economic patterns. Environmental resources are considered today as economic assets and called \u201cnatural capital\u201d. This particularly holds true for the seas and oceans. Seas and oceans cover more than 70% of Earth\u2019s surface and are critical in ensuring that some of society\u2019s most basic needs are met. They hold 97% of all water and sustain 80% of all life forms on the planet. These vast ecosystems are amongst the world\u2019s largest carbon sinks, produce half of the oxygen we breathe and are the primary source of proteins for more than 3 billion people worldwide. Seas and oceans are also the fabric of a large industry that raises environmental and social sustainability issues. These are at the heart of the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development agenda for 2030 which is not compatible with a system focused on abuse and exploitation of the environment. Therefore, an efficient and sustainable management of oceans\u2019 natural capital is a critical policy objective for the economic process and progress. The growing awareness of the intense pressures that cause environmental degradation of the natural wealth highlights the need for a sustainable approach. Governance bodies established over the recent decades have defined tools and mechanisms to achieving a more sustainable development allowing the preservation and sustainable uses of the natural capital. At this stage of economy reframing, a new concept of \u201cBlue Economy\u201d (BE) has emerged to foster the shift towards a new, ocean (marine)-based sustainable economy. BE has recently gained considerable policy and scholarly attention, in line with the expansion of its relevance on the political agenda beyond traditional economic sectors. BE implementation strategies are part of the UN\u2019s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in particular SDG 14 \u201cLife Below Water\u201d which aims, among other things, to prevent and significantly reduce marine pollution, sustainably manage and protect marine and coastal ecosystems, minimize and address the impacts of ocean acidification, regulate harvesting by ending overfishing and illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, conserve coastal and marine areas, increase scientific knowledge and transfer sustainable marine technologies. As such, embedded is this quite a cutting-edge concept is the principle (and need) that ensuring economic growth and employment must go hand in hand with the imperative of protecting and restoring nature and fighting climate change. BE enables society to obtain value from the oceans and coastal regions, whilst respecting their long-term ability to regenerate and endure such activities through the implementation of sustainable practices. This implies that human activities must be managed in a way that guarantees the health of the oceans and safeguards economic productivity, so that the potential they offer can be realized and sustained over time. Both established and emerging, innovative sectors are part of the BE and offer important sources of sustainable economic development. The former include marine living resources, marine non-living resources, marine renewable energy, port activities, shipbuilding and repair, maritime transport and coastal tourism. The latter include ocean energy (i.e. floating solar energy and offshore hydrogen generation), blue bioeconomy and biotechnology, marine minerals, desalination, maritime defence, security and surveillance, research and education and infrastructure and maritime works (submarine cables, robotics). These sectors offer significant potential for the transition to a sustainable economic growth, as well as for employment creation. For instance, BE traditional sectors contribute to about 1.5% of the European Union-27 GDP and provide about 4.5 million direct jobs, i.e. 2.3% of EU-27 total employment. Emerging innovative BE sectors, such as ocean renewable energy, blue biotechnology, and algae production are adding new markets and creating jobs. This is without counting indirect and induced income and employment effects. Against this backdrop, this dissertation has two purposes. Firstly, it provides a comprehensive overview of the current state of the BE in the world, highlighting challenges, opportunities, trends, and their potential for sustainable development. Secondly, it aims to provide a stocktaking tool based on solid foundation that will enable both policy-makers and stakeholders to make informed decisions to support relevant new initiatives and policies. This dissertation has been developed within the Industrial Ph.D. program Eureka, financed by the Regional Government of the Marche along with ISTAO \u2013 The Istituto Adriano Olivetti, one of the oldest managerial schools in Italy which was founded in 1967 by the Economist Giorgio Fu\ue0. Chapter I of the dissertation is a literature review which fills the knowledge gap on how BE can represent an economic development model for institutions and entrepreneurs. It does so by adopting an exploratory approach for the collection and review of a series of scientific contributions to be considered as most significant and most relevant in addressing how the BE discourse is tied up in recent literature on economic development. Specifically, the exploratory approach was designed based on a set of criteria identified in compliance with the objectives of the investigation: 1) frame and evaluate the state of the art with regards to policies and initiatives undertaken at global level; 2) detect critical issues and challenges in the implementation of policies and initiatives; 3) identify policy implications and suggestions. Chapter II contributes to the emerging literature on the development of a participative BE by presenting an innovative Quadruple Helix model, which not only connects domestic government, academia, firms and users but acts as a driver boosting the foreign exposure of the country in this specific domain. The model is tested in Qingdao, an exemplary city included in the Blue Economic Zone of the Shandong Province, in China, through an exploratory approach based on desk research integrated with semi-structured interviews with eight experts. In Chapter III, the Chinese response to the UN\u2019s \u201cDecade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development 2021-2030\u201d is unfolded based on documentary analysis of official planning and strategic documents. The ocean is considered of great significance by Chinese political leaders to the survival and development of human society. Accordingly, since the launch of the \u201cOcean Decade\u201d, which represents an important UN resolution to promote sustainable ocean development as well as the most important initiative in the coming decade that will exert a far-reaching impact on the progress of marine science and global marine governance, various initiatives have been undertaken by China in order to uphold its cooperation-based commitment to the ecological protection of oceans. Chapter IV makes the case for the shipbuilding industry in the Marche Region, in Italy. The importance of the Marche Region in the shipbuilding industry, suggested a more in-depth exploration to understand what impact the positive performance of the sector can have on the regional industrial system and how it could represent a catalyser for the system of highly qualified and technologically advanced supply chain. In writing this contribution, which was carried out together with colleagues from ISTAO on behalf of Fondazione Marche, I had ample recourse to the latest studies on the shipbuilding industry and carried out a survey investigating the sector in depth. Semi-structured interviews with top management of the most representative regional shipyards and a sample of subcontractors and companies were conducted to witness the growth of the industry. The results of the analysis provide interesting insights for policy-making to support the development of the regional shipbuilding industry and supply chain

L’industria dei semiconduttori in Cina: tendenze nella attuale “chip war”

This short study delves into the complex semiconductor industry dynamics amidst global trade and geopolitical tensions. Valued at over 500 billion US dollars, expected to reach 1 trillion by 2030, the sector is crucial for AI, autonomous driving, and 5G. We examine China’s quest for tech leadership, seen in Made in China 2025 Plan and Integrated Circuits (ICs) industrial policies developed so far. While China advances in chipmaking, challenges arise in high-end domestic production. The US-China analysis of trade flows shows significant imports of Electronic integrated circuits and Machines for semiconductor manufacturing from the US. Reduced ICs imports result from trade sanctions and self-reliance emphasis. The US plays a vital role in supplying China’s semiconductor-related products, creating tech dependency. Overall, China’s semiconductor value chain lags behind the US, driving indigenous development. Seen in the 14th Five-Year Plan and the Law on Science and Technology Progress, China aims to overcome Western restrictions, although challenges remain in achieving sustainable self-reliance

L’industria dei semiconduttori in Cina: tendenze nella attuale “chip war”

This short study delves into the complex semiconductor industry dynamics amidst global trade and geopolitical tensions. Valued at over 500 billion US dollars, expected to reach 1 trillion by 2030, the sector is crucial for AI, autonomous driving, and 5G. We examine China’s quest for tech leadership, seen in Made in China 2025 Plan and Integrated Circuits (ICs) industrial policies developed so far. While China advances in chipmaking, challenges arise in high-end domestic production. The US-China analysis of trade flows shows significant imports of Electronic integrated circuits and Machines for semiconductor manufacturing from the US. Reduced ICs imports result from trade sanctions and self-reliance emphasis. The US plays a vital role in supplying China’s semiconductor-related products, creating tech dependency. Overall, China’s semiconductor value chain lags behind the US, driving indigenous development. Seen in the 14th Five-Year Plan and the Law on Science and Technology Progress, China aims to overcome Western restrictions, although challenges remain in achieving sustainable self-reliance.This short study delves into the complex semiconductor industry dynamics amidst global trade and geopolitical tensions. Valued at over 500 billion US dollars, expected to reach 1 trillion by 2030, the sector is crucial for AI, autonomous driving, and 5G. We examine China’s quest for tech leadership, seen in Made in China 2025 Plan and Integrated Circuits (ICs) industrial policies developed so far. While China advances in chipmaking, challenges arise in high-end domestic production. The US-China analysis of trade flows shows significant imports of Electronic integrated circuits and Machines for semiconductor manufacturing from the US. Reduced ICs imports result from trade sanctions and self-reliance emphasis. The US plays a vital role in supplying China’s semiconductor-related products, creating tech dependency. Overall, China’s semiconductor value chain lags behind the US, driving indigenous development. Seen in the 14th Five-Year Plan and the Law on Science and Technology Progress, China aims to overcome Western restrictions, although challenges remain in achieving sustainable self-reliance

UNESCO World Heritage Sites in China’s cultural diplomacy: Fostering mutual understanding along the Silk Roads

The adoption of the World Heritage Convention (WHC) in 1972 was the response to a world asking for peace after the destruction caused by the two world conflicts, particularly to cultural heritage (CH). UNESCO World Heritage Sites (WHS) act as enablers in establishing strong and effective relationships among countries, people, culture and history, while influencing and attracting these elements to promote a positive national image and fostering mutual understanding, which is the main objective of cultural diplomacy (CD). This holds true also for China and this institutes the need to investigate on how UNESCO World Heritage acts as a strategic asset in Chinese CD. This paper will provide an empirical framework addressing the position of WHS embedded in the Chinese CD. Discussion on the growing Chinese involvement of WHS in cultural projects fostering international relations and considerations on the potential impact and future development of this phenomenon with regards to China and the WHC are offered

Lo stato del conflitto tecnologico tra Cina e Stati Uniti

La guerra tecnologica tra Cina e Stati Uniti, spesso definita “guerra fredda tecnologica” o “guerra tecnologica” (tech war) ha iniziato a intensificarsi all’inizio degli anni 2010. È difficile individuare una data di inizio esatta, ma una serie complessa e continua di sviluppi, politiche e azioni da parte di entrambi i paesi hanno contribuito ad accrescere le tensioni, che vedono come indiscussa protagonista l’industria dei semiconduttori. Sicuramente, sul fronte cinese, il lancio del piano Made in China 2025 (Mic2025), nel 2015 e la formalizzazione del New Chinese Dream da parte del presidente Xi Jinping, hanno segnato un primo punto di svolta.1 La visione per il futuro della Cina, introdotta nel 2012 da Xi in occasione dell’assunzione del mandato di segretario generale del Partito comunista cinese e presidente della Repubblica popolare cinese, prevedeva tra gli altri l’obiettivi di rendere la Cina leader globale nel campo della scienza e della tecnologia. La competizione con gli Usa, protagonista indiscusso dell’innovazione specie in campo tecnologico fino ad allora, è apparsa subito inevitabile

Structural Changes and Policies in China: From the New Dream to COVID-19 Era

The work sheds light on the significant reforms that China has undertaken over the past 40 years and which, starting from the 1978 ‘Open Door Policy’, stimulated a massive structural shift of the Chinese economy and society. The twenty first century pandemic happened at a linchpin moment for China, when the country was bridging several contentious structural changes due to the ‘New Normal’ paradigm and the more recent trade war with the US. In response to the Covid-19 outbreak and in the light of the upcoming release of the new 5-year plan, Chinese authorities promptly adopted a series of coordinated measures to support the national economy and engaged in a new long-term planning, the so-called “Dual Circulation Strategy”. From the New Dream to the Covid-19 era, innovation and industrial policies are presented through the lens of political economy