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Let’s talk about you: what is your background, what do you teach, and what are your research interests?
My name is Mario Volpe, I teach Innovation Economics, Development Economics and International Economics at Ca' Foscari. My interests concern the topics I teach, with a specific focus on the real aspects of the economy: size and structure of the market, structural factors (size, openness, dynamics) of companies, dynamics of local systems. In particular, with my research I explore the themes of innovation systems of SMEs, Clusters and Local Production Systems, the internationalization processes of SMEs and the change of GVC, the analysis of the Circular Economy.I try to include these themes also in the international cooperation projects that I have dealt with and still deal with. And over the years I have tried to combine research with the proposal of solutions to entities and institutions operating in the economic field, both nationally and internationally.

Tell us about your academic path.
Graduated at Ca' Foscari, postgraduate work at Ca' Foscari, Ph.D. studies. abroad (US, New York University), post-doc work abroad (NY), researcher at the University of Udine, transfer as researcher to Ca' Foscari, Associate Professor at Ca' Foscari

Who has inspired you in your career?
International scientific and professional communities.My greatest professional satisfactions? The effectiveness of international cooperation projects for the beneficiary countries.

Which research topic have you always wanted to investigate that you've never gotten around to doing?
A theme that I would like to address, but haven't yet had the time, is that of the experimental economy.

What are you most passionate about in your field of research? 
The search for solutions to real problems.

Have you always known that this was going to be your path? 
Generally, I have.

What do studying and researching mean to you?
Briefly, trying to acquire knowledge through research and transmit it through teaching. Obviously by exploiting the feedback between these two activities.

Can you offer any advice to researchers in the early stages of their career? 
It is a stimulating path, which must always focus on the problems to be solved and the people involved, not the tools. Keeping a broad approach and focusing on real and specific issues will give satisfaction.