L’innovazione improduttiva dell’economia startup alla prova della pandemia di Covid-19: immaginare un nuovo modello oltre la shut-in society

Abstract

This paper aims to contribute to the critical discussion on the relationship between digital capitalism and the pandemic model of shut-in society. The aim is to explore how the spread of the Covid-19 virus and lock-down measures have produced a meeting of economic and social paradigms that had evolved in relative isolation. The focus of the analysis unfolds from unproductive innovation and the processes of financialisation of innovation in the start-up economy. Analysing the mechanisms that enable big-tech to achieve record valuations despite low profitability, the paper concludes by proposing to re-configure the conditions within which this model thrives to meet the challenges of living in the Anthropocene era.