Abstract: This paper offers an analysis of the main industrial policy measures adopted by the three Italian governments following each other on from 2013. The first focused its industrial policy on boosting the creation of innovative start-ups and fostering small-scale enterprises in order to acquire new equipment. The second of these governments stimulated public aggregate demand and passed the reform known as the Jobs Act (2014). The industry’s capacity utilization rate rose in 2016, as did the value added of the companies to their net revenues. In 2017, the third government initiated a project aimed at driving the Italian economy into the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Up to now there have indeed been positive signals from the viewpoint of capital expenditure on plants and equipment, but not yet from that of knowledge and training for new jobs.

Key words: industry; decline; value added; innovative startups; capex; Fourth Industrial Revolution