Internationalization strategies: from local clusters to extended networks

Italian Abstract: L’articolo analizza le condizioni di competitivita delle imprese distrettuali italiane, individuando i limiti al loro sviluppo di fronte ai mutamenti dello scenario economico internazionale, con l’obiettivo di delineare le strategie adottabili. Tali strategie possono valorizzare i legami distrettuali a favore di un ruolo di coordinamento di filiere internazionalizzate, nelle quali il distretto puo mantenere al suo interno le funzioni chiave e a maggior valore aggiunto. Inoltre, vengono individuate le esigenze di supporto esterno alle imprese, secondo priorita equilibrate fra medie imprese, per il ruolo trainante da esse svolto, e piccole e piccolissime imprese, che devono evolvere per non frenare i network di cui sono parte.English Abstract: The paper focuses on internationalization strategies to be adopted by industrial district firms facing the deep change related to the world wide market opening process. Critical factors and threats are pointed out, in order to identify developing strategies that can enforce a co-ordination role of districts firms within internationalized supply chains and distribution channels. Moreover, policy intervention areas ere identified to address firms’ choices towards consistent directions in order to strengthen their competitiveness and the overall efficiency of the local system, both in its internal and external networks.

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