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Rethinking the industrial district: 35 years later

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  • Sforzi, Fabio

    (University of Parma)

Abstract

The year 2014 marked a double anniversary: the 35th and 25th anniversaries of the publication of two seminal papers of Giacomo Becattini on the industrial district. The first paper (Becattini, 1979) conceptualizes the industrial district as a «unit of investigation», while the second (Becattini, 1989) conceptualizes the industrial district as a «model of production». Between the two papers there is a mutual dependence. The industrial district as a «model of production» deprived of the industrial district as a «unit of investigation» loses its originality as a way of interpreting economic change and becomes merely «one type of a cluster». This paper deals with the relationship between district and cluster, then also between the industrial district as a singular theoretical construct and the many industrial districts described by empirical investigations, and concludes with some remarks on the topicality of the industrial district.

Suggested Citation

  • Sforzi, Fabio, 2015. "Rethinking the industrial district: 35 years later," INVESTIGACIONES REGIONALES - Journal of REGIONAL RESEARCH, Asociación Española de Ciencia Regional, issue 32, pages 11-29.
    • Handle: RePEc:ris:invreg:0290
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    9. Belussi , Fiorenza, 2015. "The international resilience of Italian industrial districts/clusters (ID/C) between knowledge re-shoring and manufacturing off (near)-shoring," INVESTIGACIONES REGIONALES - Journal of REGIONAL RESEARCH, Asociación Española de Ciencia Regional, issue 32, pages 89-113.
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    11. Sforzi, Fabio & Boix, Rafael, 2015. "What about Industrial District(s) in Regional Science?," INVESTIGACIONES REGIONALES - Journal of REGIONAL RESEARCH, Asociación Española de Ciencia Regional, issue 32, pages 61-73.
    12. Massimo Annesi & A. Marzano & S. Butera & Gabriele Pescatore & A. Giannola & C. Pascarella & Sergio Zoppi, 2000. "Interventi in occasione della presentazione del volume "I conti economici delle regioni italiane dal 1970 al 1998"," Rivista economica del Mezzogiorno, Società editrice il Mulino, issue 2, pages 503-540.
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    Cited by:

    1. Ngui Min Fui Tom, 2019. "Strategy to Build a Transshipment Port as a Catalyst to Achieving Critical Mass for Sabah’s Economic Growth," International Business Research, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 12(7), pages 141-166, July.
    2. Marco Bellandi & Lisa De Propris, 2017. "New forms of industrial districts," Economia e Politica Industriale: Journal of Industrial and Business Economics, Springer;Associazione Amici di Economia e Politica Industriale, vol. 44(4), pages 411-427, December.
    3. Sue Konzelmann & Frank Wilkinson, 2016. "Co-operation in Production, the Organization of Industry & Productive Systems: A Critical Survey of the 'District' Form of Industrial Organisation & Development," Working Papers wp481, Centre for Business Research, University of Cambridge.
    4. Sue Konzelmann & Frank Wilkinson, 2017. "Co-operation and competition in production and exchange: the “district” form of industrial organization and development," Economia e Politica Industriale: Journal of Industrial and Business Economics, Springer;Associazione Amici di Economia e Politica Industriale, vol. 44(4), pages 393-410, December.
    5. Jaime de Pablo Valenciano & Juan Uribe-Toril & Juan Milán-García & José Luis Ruiz-Real & José Antonio Torres Arriaza, 2019. "Auxiliary Companies of the Horticultural Sector as a Competitiveness Element: The Case of Almeria (Spain)," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(14), pages 1-19, July.
    6. A. Arrighetti & F. Landini, 2018. "Eterogeneità delle imprese e stagnazione del capitalismo italiano," Economics Department Working Papers 2018-EP01, Department of Economics, Parma University (Italy).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    industrial district; cluster; regional economics; regional studies; economic history;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • B20 - Schools of Economic Thought and Methodology - - History of Economic Thought since 1925 - - - General
    • N90 - Economic History - - Regional and Urban History - - - General, International, or Comparative
    • R10 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - General

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