We employ an evolutionary, agent-based model to analyze some features of the current global crisis by exploring the transmission mechanisms from finance to real dynamics at an economy-wide level. Our final goal is to explore the e ffects of ensembles of different policies that could contribute to put back the economy on its steady growth trajectory. Our model is a bridge between short-run Keynesian theories of business cycles and long-run Schumpeterian theories of economic growth. The model describes an economy composed of capital and consumption-good firms, workers, and banks. Capital-good firms perform R&D and produce heterogeneous machine tools. Consumption-good fi rms invest in new machines and produce a homogeneous consumption good. Banks fi nance firms production and investment plans using alternative rules. Before carrying out policy analysis, we empirically validate the model showing that it is able to replicate a wide spectrum of macroeconomic and microeconomic stylized facts. Simulation exercises performed so far show a strong complementarity between Schumpeterian and Keynesian demand macro-management policies. Moreover, in line with the literature on financial fragility, policies impacting on the financial side of the economy aff ect production and investment decisions of firms and can amplify or dampen business cycle fluctuations.