Micro-economic Analysis of the Physical Constrained Markets: Game Theory Application to Competitive Electricity Markets

Competition has been introduced in the electricity markets with the goal of reducing prices and improving efficiency. The basic idea which stays behind this choice is that, in competitive markets, a greater quantity of the good is exchanged at a lower and a lower price, leading to higher market efficiency. Electricity markets are pretty different from other commodities mainly due to the physical constraints related to the network structure that may impact the market performance. The network structure of the system on which the economic transactions need to be undertaken poses strict physical and operational constraints. Strategic interactions among producers that game the market with the objective of maximizing their producer surplus must be taken into account when modeling competitive electricity markets. The physical constraints, specific of the electricity markets, provide additional opportunity of gaming to the market players. Game theory provides a tool to model such a context. This paper discussed the application of game theory to physical constrained electricity markets with the goal of providing tools for assessing the market performance and pinpointing the critical network constraints that may impact the market efficiency. The basic models of game theory specifically designed to represent the electricity markets will be presented. IEEE30 bus test system of the constrained electricity market will be discussed to show the network impacts on the market performances in presence of strategic bidding behavior of the producers.Comment: Accepted for publication in the European Journal of Physics B. Presented at the Int. Conf. NEXT-SigmaPhi, 13-18 August 2005, Cret

Coopération et gouvernance dans deux districts en transition

Disponible en ligne : http://www.ceris.cnr.it/ceris/workingpaper/2007/WP10_07_RAGAZZI_INTERNET.pdfWorking paper CERIS-CNR ; 11Industrial district are often described as systems of firms in static equilibrium, in which changes in the environment or in the power of stakeholders can break the cooperation mechanism and lead to the crisis and even death of the district. The authors analyse two industrial districts, Biella in Italy and Grasse in France, in which the worsening of competition has induced a deep evolution in the strategic behaviour of firms and in the asset of the district. Starting from this evidence they support the thesis that harder competition does not lead to a break in the district atmosphere, but to a change in its governance, in the mechanisms of interaction and level of commitment towards collective strategies.L'objectif de ce papier est de mettre en évidence que l'évolution des normes de compétitivité auxquelles sont soumis certains districts industriels contribuent à faire évoluer les formes de coopération traditionnelle. Ce texte s'appuie sur la comparaison des trajectoires de transition de deux districts industriels, l'un en France et l'autre en Italie

La dualité coopérative dans les districts industriels : une comparaison France-Italie

Des études menées au cours des années quatre-vingt-dix sur certains districts italiens du textile ont montré que l'intensification de la concurrence et les conséquences négatives qui en résultent avaient conduit à une intensification de la compétition au sein des districts et à un affaiblissement de la coopération. Nos propres travaux menés sur deux districts, l'un en France, l'autre en Italie, nous conduisent au contraire à penser que les mutations de l'espace concurrentiel peuvent stimuler le développement de relations de coopération entre entreprises au sein d'un même district. En fait, nous soutenons que les mutations à l'œuvre dans les districts reflètent plutôt une transformation des formes de coopération liée à une nécessité structurante

ART ET CULTURE DANS L’EVOLUTION DES DISTRICTS INDUSTRIELS ITALIENS [Art and culture in the evolution of Italian industrial districts]

The competitiveness of a territory is more and more explained by factors that combine technological innovation, recognized as a key element of the competitive advantage of an economic system, with knowledge, creativity, and sometimes even art and culture. In some areas of ancient industrialization we can find at local level a social capital that is a synthesis of economic, social and cultural aspects. This can be used both for the products promotion and for the support to new industries able to offer to the end consumer not only products but the opportunity to carry on an experience with the local tradition. The paper examines two cases of industrial districts in Italy (Biella and Carrara), where the cultural aspect of the traditional manufacturing has been the starting point for enhancing the territorial system and for the beginning of an integrated supply, products-services, which has expanded the boundaries of the previous specialization and it is now a strong element of territorial competitiveness.La compétitivité d’un territoire est de plus en plus expliqué par des facteurs qui associent à l’innovation technologique, depuis longtemps reconnue comme élément de l’avantage compétitif d’un système économique, la connaissance, la créativité et, parfois, même l’art et la culture. On voit ainsi comme dans les territoires d’ancienne industrialisation on retrouve à niveau local une synthèse entre aspects économiques, sociaux et culturels qui représentent un capital utilisable soit pour la promotion sectorielle, soit pour le soutien à la naissance de nouvelles filière capables d’offrir au consommateur final pas seulement un bien, mais la possibilité de faire expérience avec une tradition. Le papier examinera deux cas de districts industriels italiens (Biella et Carrara) où l’aspect culturel de la production traditionnelle a été le point de départ pour une valorisation du système territorial et pour la naissance d’une offre intégrée produits-services qui a élargi les frontières de la précédente spécialisation et représente un élément fort de la compétitivité territoriale.Art et culture, créativité, districts industriels

Un modello di agenzia sociale per un intervento socio-sanitario integrato contro la povertà

After a review of the governance of welfare policies and of subsidiarity experiences in the third sector, the Social Agency Model is proposed. It integrates in a structured way public and private action against poorness, above all the activity of the third sector. The model is based on the following principles: policies centred on the person through unified service points and demand financing systems, local networks of public and private actors.Povertà, Integrazione pubblico privato, Politiche di welfare, Sussidiarietà, Terzo settore

Sussidiarietà e istruzione tecnico-professionale in Italia. Note metodologiche per la ricerca

Technical education and training is now interested by a reform process, trying to integrate the different paths that a student can follow to get a technical degree: the professional schools and training courses. Another challenge is that of integrating in the new system the lessons coming from best innovative practices in the field of the fight to early school living. For this reason the level of application of subsidiarity principle can help to explain differences in the job and social outcome for students. The paper analyses the methodological aspects to be afforded to design a research on the level and effects of subsidiarity in the technical educational system.Technical and professional education, training evaluation, placement evaluation, subsidiaity, educational system reform.

La dualité coopérative dans les districts industriels : une comparaison France-Italie

Des études menées au cours des années quatre-vingt-dix sur certains districts italiens du textile ont montré que l'intensification de la concurrence et les conséquences négatives qui en résultent avaient conduit à une intensification de la compétition au sein des districts et à un affaiblissement de la coopération. Nos propres travaux menés sur deux districts, l'un en France, l'autre en Italie, nous conduisent au contraire à penser que les mutations de l'espace concurrentiel peuvent stimuler le développement de relations de coopération entre entreprises au sein d'un même district. En fait, nous soutenons que les mutations à l'œuvre dans les districts reflètent plutôt une transformation des formes de coopération liée à une nécessité structurante.districts industriels ; coopération ; France; Italie

Including adolescent migrants in school through VET approach: evidence from a pilot action in Italy

AbstractThis paper investigates the effectiveness of a small experimental pilot addressed to foreign adolescents with low language skills and high dropout risk in lower secondary school in Turin, North-West Italy. The intervention aims at reducing Early School Leaving while supporting standard school curricula. In order to facilitate students' re-motivation and their attachment to the school environment, the pilot proposes an original VET approach that alternates standard school activities to innovative vocational training. In particular, treated students substitute 290 h VET courses for 10 standard school weeks along a scholastic year. First of all, the analysis aims at evaluating effects on Early School Leaving. Then, since the pilot requires a long period in VET away from school, the study evaluates effects on educational outcomes. Oltre I Muri is a very small pilot experiment, involving seven schools and offering 11 VET positions to migrant students. We investigated the effectiveness of the program by an experimental counterfactual approach: participants have been randomly assigned to a treated and a control group with similar characteristics. They are adolescent migrants attending the 2nd year of lower secondary school and manifesting very high drop-out risk. Treated students attend the alternating VET/school pilot, while control students attend standard school classes. Randomization inference allows assessing average treatment effects, but the very small sample size does not guarantee statistical significance at standard levels. Results anyhow suggests some effectiveness of the project in contrasting Early School Leaving. In particular, while some non-treated students dropped out from school during the pilot, all treated students regularly completed their scholastic year. This can be interpreted as a 20% increase in school attendance, with an 80% confidence level assessed by Montecarlo randomization. Finally, extreme value bound techniques applied to test scores suggest that treated students do not prejudice their learning by attending VET instead of standard school classes during the pilot. On the contrary, their school attachment is reinforced

L’impresa: che cos’è? Visione economica, giuridica e organizzativa

Strumenti decisionali per l'impresa. Volume 1This volume is the first part of the text “Decision-making tools for the firm. Handbook for engineers and technicians who must make economic decisions”. It offers guidance to students and professionals who find themselves having to make decisions that affect the economic dimension of the firm. We start from the description of the firm, which has its own characteristics and interacts with other economic agents within a specific law framework. The second step analyses the accounting system as a source of information that can be used to make decisions. Finally, third part presents the criteria to be adopted to correctly take some of the main short and long-term decisions that characterize the management of a business. Many different skills contribute to the functioning of the company and its management; in the same way different disciplinary perspectives are functional analysis and are essential for a complete definition. So, this part, dedicated to the identification of the concept of firm, begins with the economic definition of the company, aimed at framing its role within the general economic context. In this sense, the concept of profit is introduced, as an indicator of the ability to generate value, through the achievement of business objectives and appreciation by the market. In the following chapters, this ideal type will be integrated and concretized through the legal definition of firm and through the description of the organizational forms it assumes

Migration and work: the cohesive role of vocational training policies

WP 16/13; Migration and work are truly connected notions, both because one major cause of migration is the search of better working conditions, and because work is a fundamental vehicle of social cohesion, especially for the migrants. Hence, the European social model strongly connects social cohesion and employment policies, fostering sustainable growth and integration by offering increasing job opportunities, particularly concerning the weak categories. Therefore, work is a pillar of active citizenship and a fundamental step in individuals' self-construction and the development of social abilities. In such context, vocational training represents a twofold integration channel, combining both education and work paths. Hence, the European Commission (2010) fosters a cohesive growth through vocational education and training (VET) policies, promoting a modern VET system and increasing its quality and efficiency. In Italy, the role of VET is particularly important for first- and second-generation immigrants, who are more likely to attend VET courses than different education paths. However, Italy is the only European country where VET is perceived like a segregation path, rather than like a port of entry to active citizenship and true integration. In fact, Cedefop (2011) notices that high linguistic barriers and rigid teaching methods characterize the Italian vocational education, while it stresses the high flexibility of Italian vocational training, including an higher adaptability to immigrants' needs. The present work discusses the hypothesis of “subordinate integration” of immigrants into the Italian VET system. In particular, it examines the effectiveness of Piedmont VT policies in fostering employability of weak subjects. The results of a CATI survey on a representative sample of Piedmont VT students suggest no specific discrimination to the detriment of immigrants, whose individual background and work assimilation is similar to that of Italian VT students. Moreover, the net impact evaluation suggests a positive impact of training courses on strangers, which is generally higher for communitarian immigrants. Hence, immigrants' participation to VT courses in Italy seems to denote a sort of normalization strategy of their specific differences, rather than a subordinate integration schem