Angela’s Writing
A collection of articles, book chapters, and media contributions exploring the economic forces shaping our world — from AI to zombie firms and financial fragility to market dynamics and global inequality.
Featured Work
‘Zombie’ reckoning: goodnight to the walking debt? Financier Worldwide Magazine, February 2023 Issue.
This cover story examines the growing phenomenon of zombie companies — firms that generate just enough revenue to service their debt but lack the capacity to grow or invest. The article identifies and addresses the widespread yet uneven prevalence of such companies across countries, regions, and sectors, highlighting the institutional and financial market factors that drive these disparities. It emphasizes the interconnected challenges of rising interest rates, post-pandemic debt burdens, and the difficulty of distinguishing true zombies from firms with genuine recovery potential. The analysis is based on insights from a range of experts in finance, restructuring, and policy, providing a broad perspective on the implications of zombie companies for global economic growth and productivity.
Grand Challenges for Europe 2050. A Report for the Friedrich Naumann Foundation, September 2024, (pp. 29-30).
The Grand Challenges for Europe 2050 Report aims to provide a human-centred horizon scan of Europe in 2050. The report identifies and addresses challenges faced by individuals of different age groups in 2050. It highlights the interconnected challenges of transitioning to a future state, emphasising the broad perspective needed. The analysis is based on interviews with a wide range of experts and desk research, providing a foundation for further research and analysis rather than in-depth policy proposals.
“Il mondo ha perso la bussola”Guerini e Associati, 2024, (pp. 35-38 & 199-203).
L’antifragilità è una caratteristica che dovremmo riscoprire, a livello non solo personale ma anche politico.
È la caratteristica per cui un sistema complesso come l’economia – a fronte di squilibri inattesi, caotici, tipici di quando «si perde la bussola» – riesce ad apportare adattamenti, a individuare le cause delle crisi e a volgere in positivo ciò che sta accadendo. Un sistema antifragile migliora quando è esposto a sfide: è la scommessa del nostro mondo postglobale.
Antifragility is a characteristic we should rediscover, not only on a personal level but also on a political one. It is the quality that allows a complex system like the economy—when faced with unexpected, chaotic imbalances, typical of times when we “lose our bearings”—to adapt, identify the causes of crises, and turn what is happening into something positive. An antifragile system improves when exposed to challenges: this is the challenge of our post-global world.
Recent Work
2024
Grand Challenges for Europe 2050. A Report for the Friedrich Naumann Foundation, September 2024, (pp. 29-30).
2024
Tre scenari per le imprese zombie. In: “Il mondo ha perso la bussola” Guerini e Associati, 2024, (pp. 35-38).
2024
Un’analisi sullo ‘stato di salute’ delle regioni italiane: a che punto siamo?. In: “Il mondo ha perso la bussola”Guerini e Associati, 2024, (pp. 199-203).
2023
‘Zombie’ reckoning: goodnight to the walking debt? Financier Worldwide Magazine, February 2023 Issue.
2023
Tra dissesto finanziario e «morti viventi»: è giunta l’ora della resa dei conti. In: “Dall’illusione dell’abbondanza all’economia dell’abbastanza”Guerini e Associati, 2023, (pp. 40-43).
2022
Le imprese zombie, la lezione che viene dal passato. Mondo Economico n. 2, 2022.
2022
When Companies Don’t Die: Analyzing Zombie and Distressed Firms in a Low Interest Rate Environment.The FinReg Blog Duke Financial Economics Center, September 7, 2021.
2022
Cambiamenti climatici: da Glasgow alla guerra. In: “Il mondo postglobale”Guerini e Associati, 2022, (pp. 25-29).
2021
Are you a Zombie? Machine Learning Methods to Classify Unviable Firms.ifo Institute, October 19, 2020.
Earlier Work, 2014–2019
Lo stato di salute delle regioni italiane visto con le lenti dell’indice ILERI. In: “Il mondo cambia pelle? Rapporto sull’economia globale e l’Italia” Guerini e Associati, 2019, (pg. 172).
2019
Come cresce l’Italia: libertà economica nelle Regioni e attrattività del Paese. Centro Einaudi, March 6, 2019.
2019
2019
Libertà economica, aumentano i divari tra macro-aree. Il Sole 24 Ore, March 6, 2019.
Divario, adesso c’è anche tra Est e Ovest. Corriere della Sera, March 7, 2019.
2019
A trip into inequalities: an elevator going one way? Mondo Economico, Centro Einaudi, April 4, 2017.
2017
Prosperity and Shadow Economy: finding the right metrics. Mondo Economico, Centro Einaudi, July 19, 2016.
2016
2015
European consumers: a brighter climate. Mondo Economico, Centro Einaudi, May 5, 2015.
L’uso del contante e il lato oscuro e sommerso dell’economia. Mondo Economico, Centro Einaudi, November 27, 2015.
2015
A Changing Labour Market? Mondo Economico, Centro Einaudi, July 2, 2014.
2014
Global imbalances: the impact on the major economies. Mondo Economico, Centro Einaudi, November 11, 2014.
2014