Marco R. Di Tommaso is Full Professor of Applied Economic Studies, University of Ferrara, Italy, and Director of c.MET05 - The National University Centre for Applied Economic Studies, Italy. He is also a Life Member Fellow at Clare Hall, University of Cambridge, UK, and Honorary Professor at the South China University of Technology and the South China Normal University. Francesca Spigarelli is Associate Professor of Applied Economic Studies at the University of Macerata, Italy, where she is Director of the China Center, and Vice Rector for Entrepreneurship and Technological Transfer and for European Research Policy. She is also a member of the c.MET05 Steering Board.  Elisa Barbieri is Associate Professor of Applied Economic Studies at the Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, Italy; Senior Researcher and a member of the Steering Board at c.MET05. She is Associate Editor for the journals Competition and Change and l’Industria. Lauretta Rubini is Associate Professor of Applied Economic Studies and Coordinator of the Master's Degree Programmes at the Department of Economics and Management of the University of Ferrara, Italy. She is also Visiting Scholar at the University of California Los Angeles, USA, and Senior Researcher and a member of the Steering Board at c.MET05.