The Internationalisation of Production Activities of Italian Industrial Districts

This paper studies the evolution of the Italia industrial districts in the era of globalization. Italian districts are no longer self-contained systems of small firms where firms' competitiveness is the result of physical proximity, connected to foreign markets at the initial and the final stage of the production and distribution activity. Internationalization is analysed in the three classical forms of trade flows, foreign direct investments and foreign subcontracting. The conclusion discusses the consequences of sourcing production abroad for industrial districts. The loss of productive competences and practical knowledge, the reduction of employment and the change in the social climate that characterize the district. As a result of internationalization the final firms make profits in far away territories and the firm's profitability is no more linked to the workers well being