Impresa e innovazione nel settore energetico europeo: il contributo della conoscenza alla creazione di valore

In the current historical phase the energy sector plays a key role in the global competition. Strategic sector for the competitiveness of each system, the energy is for the countries of the European Union, today as in the past, a laboratory for experimenting with institutional solutions that act as a driving force for the start of a new cycle of economic development with continental dimensions. In this framework the experience of the European Joint Undertaking stands out, playing a key role in supporting European cooperation in very innovative research projects. In the light of these considerations, the aim of the present work is twofold. First, the work aims to take stock of the experience of the European Joint Undertaking in the energy sector, in particular in the sector of controlled thermonuclear fusion, starting from the historical experience of JET launched in the late 70s until Fusion for Energy, which today is supporting one of the largest projects of basic research in the world, ITER. Secondly, the work aims to contribute to the debate on the assessment of the socio-economic impact of basic research. This reflection fits the scope of the scientific and political debate has developed over recent years, with regard to performance measurement in economic research, which devotes limited space to basic research. Starting from the experience of ITER, the present work aims to give a contribution to the advancement of this reflection, in order to improve the appreciation of the impact of basic research and, in this way, the entire scientific process of value creation.