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The decline of the industrial district of Como: recession, relocation or reconversion?

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  • Fernando G. Alberti

Abstract

Industrial districts are experiencing intensifications in those economic conditions that have historically favoured them. Some of them have entered a process of decline, which might seem the cause or the effect of recession, relocation or reconversions into different models. The present paper aims at contributing to the debate on the evolutionary patterns of industrial districts, offering an explorative look at the phenomenon of industrial districts’ decline. This topic has been widely overlooked in literature and demands further empirical evidence and conceptual insights. To this purpose, the paper builds on the longitudinal case study of the industrial district of Como, illustrating and analysing its decline process from 1980 to 2003. The focus of the study is on the determinants of an industrial district's decline and the consequences on the structures of the district itself. The findings are then abstracted to a model for the understanding and explanation of the decline of industrial districts. The conclusion is that scholars, practitioners and policy-makers might benefit from enhancing their knowledge of industrial districts’ decline and also from interpreting industrial districts’ evolution in a wider sense. The paper concludes with contributions and suggestions for further research.

Suggested Citation

  • Fernando G. Alberti, 2006. "The decline of the industrial district of Como: recession, relocation or reconversion?," Entrepreneurship & Regional Development, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 18(6), pages 473-501, November.
  • Handle: RePEc:taf:entreg:v:18:y:2006:i:6:p:473-501
    DOI: 10.1080/08985620600884792
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    Cited by:

    1. Marta Gancarczyk, 2010. "Model schyłku i odrodzenia klastrów," Gospodarka Narodowa. The Polish Journal of Economics, Warsaw School of Economics, issue 3, pages 1-21.
    2. Anna Lejpras, 2015. "Knowledge, location, and internationalization: empirical evidence for manufacturing SMEs," Economics of Innovation and New Technology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 24(8), pages 734-754, November.
    3. Martin Mathews & Peter Stokes, 2013. "The creation of trust: the interplay of rationality, institutions and exchange," Entrepreneurship & Regional Development, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 25(9-10), pages 845-866, December.
    4. Iwasaki, Fusanori & Ueki, Yasushi, 2022. "From buyer-driven fragmented to consumer-driven vertically integrated value chains: a case study of Japanese apparel and accessory SMEs," IDE Discussion Papers 838, Institute of Developing Economies, Japan External Trade Organization(JETRO).
    5. Marta Gancarczyk & Joanna Bohatkiewicz, 2018. "Research Streams in Cluster Upgrading. A Literature Review," Journal of Entrepreneurship, Management and Innovation, Fundacja Upowszechniająca Wiedzę i Naukę "Cognitione", vol. 4(4), pages 17-42.
    6. Gancarczyk, Marta & Gancarczyk, Jacek, 2018. "Proactive international strategies of cluster SMEs," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 36(1), pages 59-70.
    7. Ron Martin & Peter Sunley, 2011. "Conceptualizing Cluster Evolution: Beyond the Life Cycle Model?," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 45(10), pages 1299-1318, November.
    8. José A. Belso-Martinez & Francesc Xavier Molina-Morales, 2013. "Non-Linear Relationships of Internal and External Resources on a Firm's Innovation: The Case of the Spanish Vinalopó Footwear Cluster," Growth and Change, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 44(3), pages 494-521, September.
    9. José Antonio Belso-Martínez & F. Xavier Molina-Morales, 2011. "The drivers of the open district development: a social capital approach," Regional Science Policy & Practice, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 3(2), pages 49-70, June.
    10. Valentina De Marchi & Joonkoo Lee & Gary Gereffi, 2014. "Globalization, Recession and the Internationalization of Industrial Districts: Experiences from the Italian Gold Jewellery Industry," European Planning Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 22(4), pages 866-884, April.
    11. J. Knoben, 2009. "Localized inter-organizational linkages, agglomeration effects, and the innovative performance of firms," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 43(3), pages 757-779, September.
    12. Jiří Blažek & Viktor Květoň & Simon Baumgartinger-Seiringer & Michaela Trippl, 2019. "The dark side of regional industrial path development: towards a typology of trajectories of decline," PEGIS geo-disc-2019_08, Institute for Economic Geography and GIScience, Department of Socioeconomics, Vienna University of Economics and Business.
    13. Galaso, Pablo & Masi Fadlala, Fernando & Picasso, Santiago & Rodríguez Miranda, Adrián & Servín Belotto, María Belén, 2024. "Organizaciones de apoyo: conectando redes para la innovación empresarial en clústeres de un país en desarrollo," INVESTIGACIONES REGIONALES - Journal of REGIONAL RESEARCH, Asociación Española de Ciencia Regional, issue 59, pages 193-211.
    14. Lu, Ren & Ruan, Min & Reve, Torger, 2016. "Cluster and co-located cluster effects: An empirical study of six Chinese city regions," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 45(10), pages 1984-1995.
    15. Pier Luigi Sacco & Guido Ferilli & Giorgio Tavano Blessi & Massimiliano Nuccio, 2013. "Culture as an Engine of Local Development Processes: System-Wide Cultural Districts I: Theory," Growth and Change, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 44(4), pages 555-570, December.
    16. Jose A. Belso-Martinez, 2010. "Outsourcing Decisions, Product Innovation and the Spatial Dimension: Evidence from the Spanish Footwear Industry," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 47(14), pages 3057-3077, December.
    17. Stefano Della Torre & Mehrnaz Rajabi, 2022. "The Restoration of St. James’s Church in Como and the Cathedral Museum as Agents for Sustainable Urban Planning Strategies," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(3), pages 1-15, March.
    18. Fiorenza Belussi & Alessia Sammarra, 2006. "Evolution and Relocation in Fashion-led Italian Districts: Evidence from two Case-Studies," "Marco Fanno" Working Papers 0023, Dipartimento di Scienze Economiche "Marco Fanno".

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