  Using firm-level data collected by Statistics Italy for 2008, 2011, and 2015,
we examine the Triple-Helix synergy among geographical and size distributions
of firms, and the NACE codes attributed to these firms, at the different levels
of regional and national government. At which levels is innovation-systemness
indicated? The contributions of regions to the Italian innovation system have
increased, but synergy generation between regions and supra-regionally has
remained at almost 45%. As against the statistical classification of Italy into
twenty regions or into Northern, Central, and Southern Italy, the greatest
synergy is retrieved by considering the country in terms of Northern and
Southern Italy as two sub-systems, with Tuscany included as part of Northern
Italy. We suggest that separate innovation strategies should be developed for
these two parts of the country. The current focus on regions for innovation
policies may to some extent be an artifact of the statistics and EU policies.
In terms of sectors, both medium- and high-tech manufacturing (MHTM) and
knowledge-intensive services (KIS) are proportionally integrated in the various
regions.
