Dr Michele Palladino is Principal Policy Analyst at IfM Engage, University of Cambridge, and part of the Cambridge Industrial Innovation Policy (CIIP) group.

He is an economist and project manager with over 15 years of experience in academia and the consulting sector, specialising in development and industrial economics, with a focus on science, technology, and innovation policy. During his career, he advised organisations such as the UK Government, the Asian Development Bank, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the Inter-American Development Bank, UNIDO, and UNDP, as well as national and regional innovation and industrial development agencies spanning all continents, including countries such as Brazil, Indonesia, and South Africa.

As Principal Policy Analyst, he leverages his expertise in economics to support Cambridge Industrial Innovation Policy (CIIP) projects, while effectively managing projects for UK Government departments and international donors.

Michele has been the lead economist and pivotal contributor to several reports produced by CIIP, including overseeing two sections of the UK Innovation Report, the annual flagship publication produced by CIIP (Investment in Innovation and Science and Engineering Workforce). Michele is also responsible for supervising the development of the UK Manufacturing Dashboard, which provides essential insights into the status of UK manufacturing.

In his role as a project manager, Michele is currently coordinating a project for the Lloyd’s Register Foundation on how more effective digital, labour, and industrial policies can make people safer, with a focus on Southeast Asia.

He spent several months in Jakarta at the Asian Development Bank’s Indonesia Resident Mission, where he led the project “Supporting Technological Transformation in Indonesia,” which involved a group of over 15 experts from the University of Cambridge.

Before joining IfM Engage, he worked as a consultant economist for a leading UK economics and environmental consultancy and has also worked in consulting roles in Italy and Brazil.

Michele holds a PhD in Production and Development Economics from the University of Insubria (Italy), and an MSc in Development Economics from the University of Sussex (UK). A native Italian speaker, he is also fluent in Portuguese.

Outside of work, he enjoys playing the piano, reading, and sharing an aperitivo with friends.