Entrepreneurship, Smes and Local Development in the Marche Region

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Entrepreneurship, Smes and Local Development in the Marche Region OECD Local Economic and Employment Development (LEED) Papers 2010/12 Entrepreneurship, SMEs Jonathan Potter, and Local Development Alessandra Proto, in the Marche Region, Italy Marco Marchese https://dx.doi.org/10.1787/5km7jf7tj6mt-en Entrepreneurship, SMEs and Local Development in the Marche region, Italy Marche is one of the most industrialised regions in Italy and is considered a region of Entrepreneurship, SMEs excellence, not only for its economic performance, but also for its cultural, natural and social richness. Marche belongs to what has come to be called the “Third Italy”: a and Local Development model of development based on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) located in industrial districts. Its economy is driven by the performance of a myriad of SMEs, which in the Marche region, Italy have been characterised by a high level of creativity and innovation in the past. However, the recent economic crisis has highlighted and possibly exacerbated some of the problems associated with a development model that still significantly relies on traditional manufacturing in an increasingly globalised and knowledge-based world economy. This report analyses the capacity of Marche to confirm its strong national and international economic role through a continuous modernisation process which recognises and builds on the strong manufacturing tradition of the region whilst at the same time enables it to compete in the modern globalised arena with a renovated, dynamic, technology-based and green-oriented industrial system. The report provides, from an international perspective, advice on how to strengthen and restructure the economy of the Marche region through the use of appropriate SME and entrepreneurship policies. It identifies major considerations for policy development in this field, assesses the current challenges and opportunities for the Marche and advances recommendations to improve policy and practice in the Marche region. Five main themes are reviewed in this report: I) human capital and the labour market; II) entrepreneurship and start-ups; III) enterprise development; IV) the contribution of research organisations to entrepreneurship and SME development; and, V) governance and environment. This report is part of the series of the OECD Reviews of Entrepreneurship, SMEs and Local Development, which assess, in selected regions and localities, the strengths and weaknesses of the environment and policies for entrepreneurship and SMEs and make recommendations for improvement. www.oecd.org Photo credits: The Marche Region © OECD 2011 You can copy, download or print OECD content for your own use, and you can include excerpts from OECD publications, databases and multimedia products in your own documents, presentations, blogs, websites and teaching materials, provided that suitable acknowledgment of OECD as source and copyright owner is given. All requests for public or commercial use and translation rights should be submitted to [email protected]. Requests for permission to photocopy portions of this material for public or commercial use shall be addressed directly to the Copyright Clearance Center (CCC) at [email protected] or the Centre français d’exploitation du droit de copie (CFC) at [email protected]. ACKnoWledgements – 3 Acknowledgements This review on Entrepreneurship, SMEs and Local Development in the Marche Region has been undertaken by the Local Economic and Employment Development (LEED) Programme of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in collaboration with the Marche Region. The work was supervised and edited by Jonathan Potter, Alessandra Proto and Marco Marchese. The OECD is grateful to Mr. Pietro Marcolini, councillor for program- ming and budget of the Marche Regional Government for the support and interest demonstrated in this review. The work would not have been possible without the engagement and valuable contributions of Mr. Fabrizio Costa, Director of the Marche Region Industry Department. The OECD would also like to thank Ms. Ida Prosperi, Head of the Area for EU and International Policies of the Marche Regional Development Agency – SVIM who provided essential support and insights during the review. Sergio Arzeni, Director of the OECD Centre for Entrepreneurship, SMEs and Local Development and Head of the OECD LEED Programme also contributed advice and direction. Last but not least, the commitment of all the interview partners has been fun- damental. Essential in-house support to organise the study visit and finalise the report was provided by Roberto Chizzali from the OECD secretariat and Austin Delaney who participated in the project as a research intern. Ringraziamenti Questo studio su PMI, imprenditorialità e sviluppo locale nella Regione Marche è stato effettuato dal Programma per lo Sviluppo Economico ed Occupazionale Locale (LEED) dell’Organizzazione per la Cooperazione e lo Sviluppo Economico (OCSE) in collaborazione con la Regione Marche. Il lavoro è stato condotto sotto la supervisione e a cura di Jonathan Potter, Alessandra Proto e Marco Marchese. ENTREPRENEURSHIP, SMES AND LOCAL DEVELOPMENT IN THE MARCHE REGION, ITALY – © OECD 2011 4 – ACKnoWledgements L’OCSE desidera ringraziare Pietro Marcolini, assessore regionale al Bilancio, Credito e Patrimonio della Regione Marche per il sostegno e l’in- teresse mostrato durante lo studio. Questo lavoro non sarebbe stato possibile senza l’impegno e il fondamentale contributo di Fabrizio Costa, dirigente del Servizio Artigianato, Industria ed Energia della Regione Marche. Un particolare ringraziamento va a Ida Prosperi, responsabile per l’area politi- che europee e internazionalizzazione della società di sviluppo della Regione Marche (SVIM), per il coordinamento e il contributo essenziale ai fini della riuscita dello studio. Sergio Arzeni, Direttore del Centro per l’Imprendito- rialità, le PMI e lo Sviluppo Locale dell’OCSE e del Programma LEED ha fornito preziosi consigli durante l’intero periodo di svolgimento del progetto. Fondamentale e di primaria importanza sono stati l’impegno e la collabo- razione di tutti gli attori locali intervistati. Si ringraziano infine Roberto Chizzali dell’OCSE per il contributo nell’organizzazione della visita di studio e nella fase di realizzazione del rapporto finale e Austin Delaney che ha par- tecipato al progetto in qualità di tirocinante. ENTREPRENEURSHIP, SMES AND LOCAL DEVELOPMENT IN THE MARCHE REGION, ITALY – © OECD 2011 contributors – 5 Contributors Review managers Jonathan Potter, Senior Economist, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development Alessandra Proto, Policy Analyst, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development Marco Marchese, Policy Analyst, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development Local diagnostic report Francesco Adornato, Professor, University of Macerata, Italy International review panel • Rudy Aernoudt, Professor of economics, University of Nancy, Belgium (SME development) • Bjørn Asheim, Deputy Director CIRCLE (Centre for Innovation, Research and Competence in the Learning Economy), Lund University, Sweden (research organisations) • Jennifer Clark, Professor of Public Policy, Georgia Institute of Technology, USA (human capital and the labour market) • Phil Cooke, Professor in Regional economic development, University of Wales, United Kingdom (environment and governance) • Ricardo Pinto, CEO of Pinto Consulting, Germany (entrepreneurship and start-ups) ENTREPRENEURSHIP, SMES AND LOCAL DEVELOPMENT IN THE MARCHE REGION, ITALY – © OECD 2011 Table of contents – 7 Table of contents Sommario in italiano . .11 Sfide e opportunità. 13 Raccomandazioni di policy ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 21 Executive summary ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 25 Challenges and opportunities. 27 Policy recommendations ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 34 Chapter I. Local diagnostic assessment . 37 1. Introduction: a balanced development.. 37 2. Data and indicators. 38 3. Businesses and number of workers ������������������������������������������������������������������� 47 4. Universities and the research and innovation systems. 49 5. The effects of the economic crisis ��������������������������������������������������������������������� 52 6. Regional policies ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 54 Bibliography. 57 Chapter II. Human capital and the labour market. 59 1. Introduction ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 59 2. Policy issues . 59 3. Assessment of the region ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 65 4. Policy recommendations ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 68 Chapter III. Entrepreneurship and start-ups ������������������������������������������������������� 73 1. Introduction ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 73 2. Policy issues . 73 3. Assessment of the region ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 78 4. Policy recommendations ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 86 Bibliography. 93 ENTREPRENEURSHIP, SMES AND LOCAL DEVELOPMENT IN THE MARCHE REGION, ITALY – © OECD 2011 8 – Table of contents
Recommended publications
  • Discovery Marche.Pdf
    the MARCHE region Discovering VADEMECUM FOR THE TOURIST OF THE THIRD MILLENNIUM Discovering THE MARCHE REGION MARCHE Italy’s Land of Infinite Discovery the MARCHE region “...For me the Marche is the East, the Orient, the sun that comes at dawn, the light in Urbino in Summer...” Discovering Mario Luzi (Poet, 1914-2005) Overlooking the Adriatic Sea in the centre of Italy, with slightly more than a million and a half inhabitants spread among its five provinces of Ancona, the regional seat, Pesaro and Urbino, Macerata, Fermo and Ascoli Piceno, with just one in four of its municipalities containing more than five thousand residents, the Marche, which has always been Italyʼs “Gateway to the East”, is the countryʼs only region with a plural name. Featuring the mountains of the Apennine chain, which gently slope towards the sea along parallel val- leys, the region is set apart by its rare beauty and noteworthy figures such as Giacomo Leopardi, Raphael, Giovan Battista Pergolesi, Gioachino Rossini, Gaspare Spontini, Father Matteo Ricci and Frederick II, all of whom were born here. This guidebook is meant to acquaint tourists of the third millennium with the most important features of our terri- tory, convincing them to come and visit Marche. Discovering the Marche means taking a path in search of beauty; discovering the Marche means getting to know a land of excellence, close at hand and just waiting to be enjoyed. Discovering the Marche means discovering a region where both culture and the environment are very much a part of the Made in Marche brand. 3 GEOGRAPHY On one side the Apen nines, THE CLIMATE od for beach tourism is July on the other the Adriatic The regionʼs climate is as and August.
    [Show full text]
  • Hospitals Behavior During the September 1997 Earthquake in Umbria and Marche (Italy)
    2514 HOSPITALS BEHAVIOR DURING THE SEPTEMBER 1997 EARTHQUAKE IN UMBRIA AND MARCHE (ITALY) A DE SORTIS 1, G DI PASQUALE2, G ORSINI3, T SANO4, S BIONDI5, C NUTI6 And L VANZI7 SUMMARY Some of the hospitals in the area of the seismic sequence in Umbria and Marche (Italy), started on September 26 1997, have been inspected in order to identify the most frequent malfunctioning causes and the most opportune measures to improve their seismic performance, which is of key importance for emergencies management. A brief description of the structural damages and the functional response of the hospitals short after the earthquake are presented. First hints for the repair of the damaged parts and for the improvement of the system for future events are drawn. INTRODUCTION The effects on the hospitals system of the Umbria and Marche seismic sequence started on September 26th 1997 confirmed the low safety of these infrastructures, which in previous earthquakes in Italy and abroad behaved badly both for structural response and for disaster management procedures. The biggest part of the hospitals was evacuated after the second shock of September 26 1997, at 11:00 a.m.; the evacuation was caused both by actual loss of functioning, even in places modestly struck, and by the panic of hospitals patients and employees, justified by the length and intensity of the seismic sequence. Important damages were generally found in the structures and installations of both old hospitals (due to their age and structural complexity) and of recent r.c. ones. These structures were built without specific regard to seismic problems, because most of this area was included in the seismic classification during the years 1982-84.
    [Show full text]
  • Title: an ARIMA Model to Forecast the Spread and the Final Size of COVID-2019 Epidemic in Italy
    Title: An ARIMA model to forecast the spread and the final size of COVID-2019 epidemic in Italy. Author. Gaetano Perone. Affiliation. University of Bergamo. Abstract Coronavirus disease (COVID-2019) is a severe ongoing novel pandemic that is spreading quickly across the world. Italy, that is widely considered one of the main epicenters of the pandemic, has registered the highest COVID-2019 death rates and death toll in the world, to the present day. In this article I estimate an autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) model to forecast the epidemic trend over the period after April 4, 2020, by using the Italian epidemiological data at national and regional level. The data refer to the number of daily confirmed cases officially registered by the Italian Ministry of Health (www.salute.gov.it) for the period February 20 to April 4, 2020. The main advantage of this model is that it is easy to manage and fit. Moreover, it may give a first understanding of the basic trends, by suggesting the hypothetic epidemic's inflection point and final size. Keywords: COVID-2019; infection disease; pandemic; time series; ARIMA model; forecasting models. JEL CODES: C22; C53; I18 Highlights: • ARIMA models allow in an easy way to investigate COVID-2019 trend. • All governmental institutions, especially in public health, may benefit from these data. • These data may be used to monitor the epidemic and to better allocate the resources. • Further useful and more precise forecasting may be provided by updating these data or applying the model to other regions and countries. 1. Introduction Coronavirus disease (COVID-2019) is a severe ongoing novel pandemic that has emerged in Hubei, a central province of China, in December 2019.
    [Show full text]
  • New Insight Into the Role of Wood Combustion As Key PM Source in Italy and in Lombardy Region
    16th Annual International Emissions Inventory Conference “Emission Inventories: Integration, Analysis, and Communications” Raleigh, North Carolina, May 14 – 17, 2007 New insight into the role of wood combustion as key PM source in Italy and in Lombardy region Stefano Caserini, Anna Fraccaroli, Anna Maria Monguzzi, Marco Moretti, Elisabetta Angelino ARPA Lombardia, Settore ARIA, Viale F. Restelli 1, 20124 Milano (Italy) [email protected] Alfredo Leonardi, Riccardo De Lauretis APAT (National Environmental Protection Agency), via C. Pavese 313, 00144 Roma (Italy) Valeria Zanella C.R.A. Customized Research & Analysis, via Montecuccoli 32, 20147 Milano (Italy) ABSTRACT The work provides new evidence of the importance of wood combustion as a key source for PM2.5 and toxic emissions (i.e. PAH) both at national (Italy) and at local (Lombardy Region) level. A specific survey, based on CATI (Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing) and TELEPANEL techniques, has been undertaken. Data were statistically analyzed in order to allow an estimate of wood consumption for domestic use in different Italian regions. The research confirms and updates previous assessments of the entity and patterns of the use of wood for domestic heating in Italy and in Lombardy, highlighting its large use, in particular in the sub-Alpine and Apennine area. Details on used types of combustion installations and temporal split of wood use are provided. Collected data allow a better estimation of wood combustion emissions from old residential equipments, that represent an important share of primary PM10 emissions in Italy and in Lombardy Region. Domestic appliances for wood combustion are responsible for up to 90% of the primary emitted fine particulate from non-industrial combustion in Italy.
    [Show full text]
  • Edda Lattanzi Distribution of Species of the Genus Rosa (Rosaceae) in Italy
    Edda Lattanzi Distribution of species of the genus Rosa (Rosaceae) in Italy Abstract Lattanzi, E.: Distribution of species of the genus Rosa (Rosaceae) in Italy. — Bocconea 24: 277-284. 2012. — ISSN 1120-4060. Specimens of personal collecting and Herbaria exsiccata (AO, APP, CLU, FI, HBBS, HLUC, IS, MSNM, PESA, RO, ROV, TOHP, UTV) were analyzed to update the distribution of the genus Rosa in Italy. Some units are new to Piemonte, Lombardia, Veneto, Liguria, Emilia- Romagna, Toscana, Umbria, Marche, Molise, Campania, Puglia, Basilicata, Calabria, Sardegna. Rosa marginata Wallr. collected in Piemonte and Liguria in the last century, is nowa- days cultivated ex situ in the Rome Botanical Garden. Rosa abietina and R. sicula were record- ed by mistake for Toscana and Puglia respectively. The rarest species: Rosa stylosa, Rosa sher- ardii and Rosa viscosa are recorded only for Lazio, Piemonte and Calabria respectively. Exsiccata of the alpine species Rosa abietina, Rosa uriensis and Rosa rhaetica are preserved in the Herbaria of the Natural Museums of Bergamo and Brescia. Introduction The aim of this research, based on personal collecting and Herbaria specimens (AO, APP, CLU, FI, HBBS, HLUC, IS, MSNM, PESA, RO, ROV, TOHP, UTV), is to update the distribution of the genus Rosa in Italy. Materials and Methods The taxonomy of the genus Rosa in Pignatti (1982), in accordance with Boulenger (1924-1925, 1931-32), overlooked 6 species: Rosa subcanina (Christ)Vuk., R. subcollina (Christ)Vuk., R. chavinii Rapin ex Reut., R. pseudoscabriuscula (R.Keller) Henker & G. Schulze, R. uriensis Lagger et Puget, R. rhaetica Gremli, not quoted or treated as syn- onyms in his Flora d’Italia.
    [Show full text]
  • The Historical Record in the Scaglia Limestone at Gubbio: Magnetic Reversals and the Cretaceous-Tertiary Mass Extinction
    Sedimentology (2009) 56, 137Ð148 doi: 10.1111/j.1365-3091.2008.01010.x The historical record in the Scaglia limestone at Gubbio: magnetic reversals and the Cretaceous-Tertiary mass extinction WALTER ALVAREZ Department of Earth and Planetary Science, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-4767, USA (E-mail: [email protected]) ABSTRACT The Scaglia limestone in the Umbria-Marche Apennines, well-exposed in the Gubbio area, offered an unusual opportunity to stratigraphers. It is a deep- water limestone carrying an unparalleled historical record of the Late Cretaceous and Palaeogene, undisturbed by erosional gaps. The Scaglia is a pelagic sediment largely composed of calcareous plankton (calcareous nannofossils and planktonic foraminifera), the best available tool for dating and long-distance correlation. In the 1970s it was recognized that these pelagic limestones carry a record of the reversals of the magnetic field. Abundant planktonic foraminifera made it possible to date the reversals from 80 to 50 Ma, and subsequent studies of related pelagic limestones allowed the micropalaeontological calibration of more than 100 Myr of geomagnetic polarity stratigraphy, from ca 137 to ca 23 Ma. Some parts of the section also contain datable volcanic ash layers, allowing numerical age calibration of the reversal and micropalaeontological time scales. The reversal sequence determined from the Italian pelagic limestones was used to date the marine magnetic anomaly sequence, thus putting ages on the reconstructed maps of continental positions since the breakup of Pangaea. The Gubbio Scaglia also contains an apparently continuous record across the CretaceousÐTertiary boundary, which was thought in the 1970s to be marked everywhere in the world by a hiatus.
    [Show full text]
  • A Case Study of Italy's Marche Region Industrial Districts
    Journal of Business Cases and Applications Volume 13 - January, 2015 A case study of Italy’s Marche Region Industrial Districts: A model of transformation and change Attilio Mucelli Polytechnic University of Marche Alessandra Micozzi Polytechnic University of Marche Arthur Rubens Florida Gulf Coast University Gary Jackson Florida Gulf Coast University ABSTRACT Urban and rural communities throughout the developed world are engaged in a slow recovery from an unprecedented economic downturn not seen since the Great Depression. Key to economic recovery for these communities is not only creating opportunities for busi- ness innovation and entrepreneurship, but also the need for businesses and communities to work together in an integrated way to increase the competitiveness of their region in an ever- competitive global market. Italy’s Industrial Districts have been a fundamental part of the Italian economy and are key to Italy being a major competitor in the global market. The aim of this paper is to present an analysis of the Marche region industrial district as a model of how to respond to economic changes in the new global marketplace. The paper presents an overview of the Italian Industrial Districts model and an analysis of the varied measures that the Marche Region’s District undertook to meet the challenges of an economic slowdown and competing in a global marketplace. Keywords: Industrial Districts; Italy’s IDs; economic development; transformation and change Copyright statement: Authors retain the copyright to the manuscripts published
    [Show full text]
  • Small Hive Beetle in Italy
    Small hive beetle in Italy Epidemiological situation and surveillance 2018 PAFF Committee – Animal health and Welfare 25/26 February 2019 Small hive beetle in Italy from 2014 to 2017 2014 2016 2/10 Small hive beetle in Italy: outbreaks reported in 2018 Natural colonies Sentinel nucleus 3/10 Restriction zones and movements control From Calabria: total ban of movements of bees and bumble bees (hives, queen bees, package bees, bee for pollination) Surveillance zone: the remaining part of the Calabrian territory Protection zone: - Reggio Calabria Province - Vibo Valentia Province - Cosenza: 10km around outbreak 4/10 Surveillance: Calabria and Sicily Calabria: • In the protection zones (Reggio Calabria e Vibo Valencia) clinical control of sentinel nucleus. • In the surveillance zone random clinical controls on apiaries (2% prev 95% conf) Sicily: • random clinical control of apiaries (2% prev 95% conf); • control on sentinel nucleus (9) located along the sicilian border facing Calabria region • control on sentinel nucleus (3) around the only one outbreak confirmed in Siracusa Province (2014) • control on sentinel nucleus around 3 establishment for honey extraction 5/10 Surveillance: Calabria and Sicily (2018) Region Province N. positive apiaries N. negative apiaries N. positive sentinel nucleus N. negative sentinel nuclei CATANZARO 68/53 COSENZA 71/76 Calabria CROTONE 104/35 REGGIO CALABRIA 1* 1 4 27 VIBO VALENTIA 0 12 AGRIGENTO 9/19 CALTANISSETTA 20/20 CATANIA 81/84 6 ENNA 28/29 Sicily MESSINA 21/30 9 PALERMO 59/53 RAGUSA 21/29 SIRACUSA 34/51 TRAPANI 14/13 * Natural colony 6/10 Surveillance: rest of Italy randomly selected Selected on risk-based Three areas are identified on the national territory: - North Area: Autonomous Provinces of Trento and Bolzano, Valle d'Aosta, Friuli Venezia Giulia, Veneto, Lombardy, Piedmont, Liguria and Emilia Romagna ; - Center Area: Tuscany, Marche, Lazio, Abruzzo and Molise; - South Area: Campania, Basilicata, Puglia and Sardinia.
    [Show full text]
  • Study Cases from Sibillini Mountains Thrust System (Central Apennines)
    land Article Geomorphological Hazard in Active Tectonics Area: Study Cases from Sibillini Mountains Thrust System (Central Apennines) Domenico Aringoli 1,*, Piero Farabollini 1 , Gilberto Pambianchi 1, Marco Materazzi 1 , Margherita Bufalini 1 , Emy Fuffa 1 , Matteo Gentilucci 1 and Gianni Scalella 2 1 School of Sciences and Technology, Geology Division, University of Camerino, Viale Gentile III da Varano, 7, 62032 Camerino, Italy; [email protected] (P.F.); [email protected] (G.P.); [email protected] (M.M.); [email protected] (M.B.); [email protected] (E.F.); [email protected] (M.G.) 2 Office of the Extraordinary Commissary for Central Italy Earthquake 2016, via della Ferratella in Laterano, 51, 00184 Rome, Italy; [email protected] * Correspondence: [email protected] Abstract: In many areas of the Umbria-Marche Apennines, evident traces of huge landslides have been recognized; these probably occurred in the Upper Pleistocene and are conditioned by the tectonic-structural setting of the involved Meso-Cenozoic formations, in a sector of the Sibillini Mountains (central Italy). The present work aimed to focus on a geomorphological hazard in the tectonic-structural setting of a complex area that is the basis of several gravitational occurrences in different types and mechanisms, but nonetheless with very considerable extension and total Citation: Aringoli, D.; Farabollini, P.; destabilized volume. An aerophoto-geological analysis and geomorphological survey allowed Pambianchi, G.; Materazzi, M.; verification of how the main predisposing factor of these phenomena is connected with the presence Bufalini, M.; Fuffa, E.; Gentilucci, M.; in depth of an important tectonic-structural element: the plane of the Sibillini Mountains thrust, Scalella, G.
    [Show full text]
  • CLUB PERFORMANCE DYNAMICS at ITALIAN REGIONAL LEVEL BRIDA, Juan Gabriel* Garrido, Nicolas, MUREDDU, Francesco Abstract
    Regional and Sectoral Economic Studies Vol. 14-1 (2014) CLUB PERFORMANCE DYNAMICS AT ITALIAN REGIONAL LEVEL BRIDA, Juan Gabriel* GARRIDo, Nicolas, MUREDDU, Francesco Abstract. This paper analyzes the dynamic economic performance of the Italian regions during the period 1970-2004. The performance is given by the transitions between regimes defined by the level and the growth rates of per capita GDP. Using the concept of economic regime, we introduce a notion of distance between the dynamical paths of the Italian regions. Afterwards, a Minimal Spanning Tree and a Hierarchical Tree are constructed from time series in order to assess the existence of groups of regions sharing similar economic performance. Two main clusters are identified, representing high performance and low performance regions, alongside other two small clusters displaying regions with similar dynamic behaviour. The high performance cluster comprises mainly regions from the north, showing the presence of agglomeration externalities. Turning to the evolution of clusters, we see a similar path until 1975, after which the two groups start to slightly diverge. Studying the evolution of each cluster’s diameter we find substantial convergence within the two groups. Splitting the sample into two periods (1975-1993 and 1994-2005) the hypothesis of two performance clubs is confirmed. The club shift of some regions hints a strong effect on regional economic dynamics of the Italian 1994 crisis. The final analysis of the distance between the two clusters show that in the first period (1975-1993) the distance between the two group was constant, while in the second one (1994-2005) it has increased Keywords: economic convergence; economic dualism, hierarchical clustering JEL classification: C14; C24; L83 1.
    [Show full text]
  • ESF Guarantee Fund for Social Inclusion Marche, Italy
    - ESF - EUR 3.8 million - Guarantee - Social inclusion - Marche region, Italy …supporting entrepreneurship and job creation through ESF guarantee fund financial instruments and business for social inclusion development services… Marche, Italy Case Study ESF guarantee fund for social inclusion - Marche, Italy Case Study DISCLAIMER This document has been produced with the financial assistance of the European Union. The views expressed herein can in no way be taken to reflect the official opinion of the European Union or the European Investment Bank. Sole responsibility for the views, interpretations or conclusions contained in this document lies with the authors. No representation or warranty express or implied is given and no liability or responsibility is or will be accepted by the European Investment Bank or the European Commission or the managing authorities of Structural Funds Operational Programmes in relation to the accuracy or completeness of the information contained in this document and any such liability or responsibility is expressly excluded. This document is provided for information only. Financial data given in this document has not been audited, the business plans examined for the selected case studies have not been checked and the financial model used for simulations has not been audited. The case studies and financial simulations are purely for theoretical and explanatory illustration purposes. The case projects can in no way be taken to reflect projects that will actually be financed using financial instruments. Neither the European Investment Bank nor the European Commission gives any undertaking to provide any additional information on this document or correct any inaccuracies contained therein. The authors of this study are a consortium of five companies: Sweco (lead), t33, University of Strathclyde – EPRC, infeurope and Spatial Foresight.
    [Show full text]
  • Regions, Innovation Systems, and the North-South Divide in Italy
    Regions, Innovation Systems, and the North-South Divide in Italy Loet Leydesdorff,a * & Ivan Cuccob Abstract Using firm-level data collected by Statistics Italy for 2008, 2011, and 2015, we examine the Triple-Helix synergy among geographical and size distributions of firms, and the NACE codes attributed to these firms, at the different levels of regional and national government. At which levels is innovation-systemness indicated? The contributions of regions to the Italian innovation system have increased, but synergy generation between regions and supra-regionally has remained at almost 45%. As against the statistical classification of Italy into twenty regions or into Northern, Central, and Southern Italy, the greatest synergy is retrieved by considering the country in terms of Northern and Southern Italy as two sub-systems, with Tuscany included as part of Northern Italy. We suggest that separate innovation strategies should be developed for these two parts of the country. The current focus on regions for innovation policies may to some extent be an artifact of the statistics and EU policies. In terms of sectors, both medium- and high- tech manufacturing (MHTM) and knowledge-intensive services (KIS) are proportionally integrated in the various regions. Keywords: innovation system, triple helix, Italy, synergy, region a *corresponding author; Amsterdam School of Communication Research (ASCoR), University of Amsterdam, PO Box 15793, 1001 NG Amsterdam, The Netherlands; [email protected] b Graduate School, The American University of Rome, Via Pietro Roselli 4, 00153 Roma RM, Italy; [email protected] 1 1. Introduction Italy was shaped as a modern nation state in the period 1860-1870.
    [Show full text]