Abstract

Recent productivity dynamics in main OECD countries are analysed to verify if there is something to worry about Italian economy's performance. Data demonstrate that the main source of concern is due to manufacturing slowdown in productivity indicators (labour as well as total). This may be the result of structural change: the time of growth achieved through technology transfer is over, and is necessary to rely on the own characters of the country to look for new opportunities for innovation and growth. In general the slowdown appears as a result of a limited diffusion of ICT technology, a failure in evolution towards optimal firms dimension and a lack of new development strategies at firms level.