The course aims to provide students with the following skills.
D1 - KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING: Understand the legal dimensions of innovation and its regulation. Developing competencies related to understanding and analyzing the fundamental concepts of Italian and European administrative law. In particular, knowledge related to administrative tools for ecological and technological transition will be developed. Specifical attention will be focused on: Understanding the objectives and missions of the digital revolution; Understanding and interpreting administrative planning documents, administrative, accounting, and financial documents of public administrations; Knowledge of teleadministration and digital administration systems, algorithmic decisions, and the use of artificial intelligence applied to public decision-making processes; Knowledge of public-private partnership procedure within public tender and third sector legislation
D2 - APPLIED KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING: Critically analyze EU policies for digital, ecological, and social transition. Providing students with advanced skills and suitable tools to deeply understand administrative organization at the European level and its multilevel governance system. Furthermore, providing tools to understand the action of Union institutions in specific areas related to public-private partnerships. Providing an in-depth knowledge of the procedures, methodologies and argumentative techniques developed from the aforementioned capacities.
D3 - AUTONOMY OF JUDGMENT: Evaluate how innovation reshapes public law, administrative functions, and fundamental Developing the ability to independently understand legal texts, judgments, administrative acts, and documents drafted in English by European authorities; addressing complexity and being able to autonomously evaluate, discern, and interpret the topics and arguments covered during the course, being able to easily use the reconstructive and interpretative tools that are indispensable in the realization of European projects and in the use of tools provided by national administrative law and Union law.
D4 - COMMUNICATION SKILLS: Discussing legal-administrative issues demonstrating conceptual accuracy, linguistic precision, and autonomy of judgment. Discussing legal-administrative issues demonstrating conceptual accuracy, linguistic precision, and autonomy of judgment
D5 - ABILITY TO LEARN: Assess comparative and multilevel governance models. Being able to access and consult sources and literature and knowing how to use the computer channels of institutional entities - especially European ones - to develop independent research on specific topics.

There are no prerequisites. It is advisable to know the main notions of Administrative Law and other pertinent or similar public law disciplines.

187SP_1 offers an advanced legal and institutional analysis of innovation as a key factor in the European Union's strategy for digital, ecological and social transitions. Designed for students in law, public administration and political science, it examines how public institutions govern innovation in accordance with constitutional principles, European directives, and emerging global standards. The course is structured into five modules and forty teaching units, each exploring critical dimensions of innovation governance through legal, economic, and comparative lenses. Module I addresses the legal meaning of innovation, investigating how the concept is framed in constitutional law, EU policy documents, and statutory instruments. It also examines innovation in OECD strategies and defines its legal boundaries in the European and national context. Module II explores innovation as a legal dilemma. Students will analyze tensions between regulation and deregulation, the precautionary principle and the right to innovate, technological neutrality, sustainability, and cultural and territorial governance. Particular attention is paid to the legal implications of disruptive technologies such as AI, blockchain, and algorithmic systems. Module III focuses on the economic governance of innovation. It analyzes the role of global actors (OECD, WTO), the Entrepreneurial State model, and the EU’s innovation policies. Students will study national and supranational strategies, the challenges of multilevel governance, the distribution of competences between the EU and Member States, and the use of golden power mechanisms to protect strategic sectors. Module IV examines how innovation is administered. In its first part, it addresses experimental regulation (regulatory sandboxes), public procurement for innovation, and administrative authorizations for emerging technologies (e.g., biotech, digital finance, AI). The second part focuses on how innovation reshapes the modus operandi of public administration: from algorithmic decision-making to digital citizenship, data protection, and cybersecurity. Module V identifies the key enablers of innovation. It explores how education, research and infrastructure underpin transition strategies. Particular emphasis is placed on higher technical education, university third mission, technology transfer, and the emergence of territorial innovation ecosystems such as smart cities and smart lands. It concludes with an analysis of financial tools such as venture capital and public-private partnerships. Throughout the course, real-world case studies (e.g., European Digital Compass, Green Deal, PNRR, AI Act, Hydrogen Strategy, inclusive technologies for disability) are used to connect legal frameworks with current policy challenges. 187SP_2 as part of the overall course in Local government and public-private partnerships in European public systems, aims to give students an in-depth knowledge of the public-private partnership systems in European Union and Italian legislation. Starting from the study of general framework of the discipline at an international and national level, the course will deepen into the main hypotheses of public-private partnerships, mainly within the public procurement legislation and the so-called third sector legislation. In each step of the course, the most relevant practical cases will be analysed.

187SP_1
Antonio Bartolini
Amministrare l’innovazione
Il diritto amministrativo dell’innovazione tecnologica
Currently in Editing Process
During the course, handouts, documents, and additional publications will be provided and made available on the Teams or Moodle platform.
187SP_2
Public-Private Partnerships and Concessions in the EU. An Unfinished Legislative Framework, Piotr Bogdanowicz, Roberto Caranta, Pedro Telles, 2020 EPEC Guide to Public-Private Partnerships, European Commission, 2021 Public Private Partnerships. Governing Common Interests, Sara Valaguzza, Eduardo Parisi, 2020 During the course, handouts and relevant texts will be provided.

187SP_1 Module I – The Legal Meaning of Innovation (units 1–8) Module II – Innovation as a Legal Dilemma (units 9–21) Module III – The Economic Governance of Innovation (units 22–30) Module IV – Administering Innovation Part I – Innovation as an Administrative Function (units 31–35) Part II – Innovation as the Modus Operandi of Public Administration (units 36–37) Module V – The Governance of Innovation: Actors and Instruments (units 38–40) Module VI – Digital Health and Health Data Protection (units 41–43) Module VII – Innovation and Energy Transition Innovation and renewable energy sources: green hydrogen, solar, wind (units 44–45) Module VIII – Technological Governance and Applied Scenarios Material and immaterial infrastructures for innovation (units 46–48) For further detail see the full syllabus of the 187SP_1 part course 187SP_2 Distribution of jurisdiction between the European Union, Member States, and local communities and the legal framework on public services and public-private partnerships. Public-private partnerships: procedure, risk assessment, management and accountability issues. The third sector and its public-private partnerships. Partnerships in digital, social and ecological transition. Impact evaluation: public tenders and economic balance vs third sector partnerships For further detail see the full syllabus of the 187SP_2 part of the course

The teaching method aims to maintain a balance between theoretical and practical aspects through a combination of lectures, exercises, seminars, and conferences. Active student participation will be encouraged through the discussion of cases, papers, and supplementary materials provided by the instructor, as well as through the completion of practical exercises on topics of particular interest and current relevance. Additionally, the involvement and participation of experts in the fields of digital transition in Public Administration and new technologies, including lawyers, magistrates, administrators, engineers, technicians, and planners, is envisaged, with a focus on interdisciplinary issues.

During the course, meetings can be organized with national and international scholars, experts in the technological sector, judges, lawyers, public officials, and entrepreneurs.

The final assessment will consist of an oral exam in English, typically structured around three questions aimed at determining whether the student has acquired sufficient knowledge of the fundamental aspects of the subject. Alternatively, the writing of a thesis may be assigned in order to evaluate the skills acquired during the course The evaluation criteria include: understanding of the subject matter, clarity of presentation, ability to articulate arguments using technically correct language, and synthesis skills. The exam score is awarded on 30 points in total. To pass the exam (18/30), the student must demonstrate sufficient knowledge of the topics and answer all questions correctly. To achieve the highest score (30/30 with honors), the student must demonstrate excellent knowledge of all topics covered during the course and answer all questions correctly. In order to ensure the inclusion and integration of students with disabilities and specific learning disorders at the University, the exam modalities will also be tailored to the specific needs of students with certified disabilities under laws 104/92 and 118/71 or with Specific Learning Disorders (SLD) certified under law 170/2010), following the guidelines provided by the University. The final grade will be calculated as the arithmetic average of the grades obtained in the individual modules, which may be rounded up or down as necessary.

This course explores topics closely related to one or more goals of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (SDGs)