Industrial districts as open learning systems: combining emergent and deliberate knowledge structures

This article deepens the theoretical understanding of learning processes in industrial districts (IDs) by analysing the emergent and deliberate structures that favour knowledge transfer at the local and distance level. An analytical framework illustrates district-learning dynamics through two mechanisms. The first is the exploitation of local knowledge structures. The second is the exploration of distant knowledge structures. We claim that a combination of the two mechanisms enhances the competitiveness of industrial districts in the global arena. We illustrate how these theoretical reflections find empirical evidence in the case of the Lake Naivasha cut-flower district in Kenya.