Patrizia Battilani

After completing my degree in Economics and Management, I went on to obtain a PhD in Political Economy, during which I spent nine months at the London School of Economics.

I have been teaching Economic History at the University of Bologna since 2002 and have held the position of full professor since 2020. In July 2013, I was a visiting scholar at the University of Sydney, and in 2017–2018 at the University of Glasgow.

From 2018 to 2021, I head CAST, the University of Bologna’s Interdepartmental Centre for Tourism Research.

Since November 2019, I have been a member of the Self-Steering Committee (SSC) for Cultural Heritage at the University of Bologna within the UnaEuropa Alliance.

I specialise in social innovation and have published numerous essays and books on social enterprises and welfare systems, with a particular focus on the role of local authorities and cooperatives.

I also work on innovation in cultural tourism, with a particular focus on the Council of Europe’s Cultural Routes. I am a member of the advisory board of the Journal of Tourism History (published by Taylor and Francis).