FABIO BRAGA Senior Analyst, Economic Research Department, Borsa Italiana LUCIANA CANOVI Lecturer in Finance, 'Marco Biagi' Faculty of Economics, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, ItalyMASSIMO DEMASIMA Senior Analyst, Industry Analysis and Business Support Department, Borsa ItalianaALESSANDRO G. GRASSO Post-Doctoral Scholar in Market and Financial Intermediaries, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, ItalyPAOLA SCHWIZER Professor of Banking, University of Parma, Italy

• List of Tables List of Figures List of Boxes Acronyms and Abbreviations About the Authors Preface and Acknowledgements Introduction; E. Gualandri and  V . Venturelli    Innovation and economic growth; E . Gualandri and V. Venturelli Access to Finance of Innovative SMEs; V . Venturelli   Equity gap and innovatives smes; E . Gualandri  An original equity requirement estimation model; L . Canovi and  V . Venturelli The intermediaries in the risk capital industry; A . G. Grasso Size and evolution of the risk capital industry; A . G. Grasso The role of equity markets;  F. Braga and  M. Demasi The role of the public sector;  E . Gualandri and  P . Schwizer   Bibliography Index Notes

FABIO BRAGA Senior Analyst, Economic Research Department, Borsa Italiana LUCIANA CANOVI Lecturer in Finance, 'Marco Biagi' Faculty of Economics, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, ItalyMASSIMO DEMASIMA Senior Analyst, Industry Analysis and Business Support Department, Borsa ItalianaALESSANDRO G. GRASSO Post-Doctoral Scholar in Market and Financial Intermediaries, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, ItalyPAOLA SCHWIZER Professor of Banking, University of Parma, Italy

• List of Tables List of Figures List of Boxes Acronyms and Abbreviations About the Authors Preface and Acknowledgements Introduction; E. Gualandri and  V . Venturelli    Innovation and economic growth; E . Gualandri and V. Venturelli Access to Finance of Innovative SMEs; V . Venturelli   Equity gap and innovatives smes; E . Gualandri  An original equity requirement estimation model; L . Canovi and  V . Venturelli The intermediaries in the risk capital industry; A . G. Grasso Size and evolution of the risk capital industry; A . G. Grasso The role of equity markets;  F. Braga and  M. Demasi The role of the public sector;  E . Gualandri and  P . Schwizer   Bibliography Index Notes