Industrial district effects and innovation in the Tuscan shipbuilding industry

The aim of the present work is to investigate innovative processes within a geographical cluster, and thus contribute to the debate on the effects of industrial clusters on innovation capacity. In particular, we would like to ascertain whether the advantages of industrial districts in promoting innovation, as already revealed by literature (diffusion of knowledge, social capital and trust, efficient networking), are also keys to success in the Tuscan shipbuilding industry of pleasure and sporting boats. First, we verify the existence of clusters of shipbuilding in Tuscany, using a specific methodology. Next, in the identified clusters, we analyse three innovative networks financed in a policy to support innovation, and examine whether the typical features of a cluster for promoting innovation are at work, using a questionnaire administered to 71 actors. Finally, we develop a performance analysis of the cluster firms and ascertain whether their different behaviours also lead to different performances. The analysis results show that our case records effects of industrial clustering on innovation capacity, such as the important role given to trust and social capital, the significant worth put in interfirm relations and in each partner’s specific competencies, or even the distinctive performance of firms belonging to a cluster.geographical clusters, industrial districts, innovation, technological transfer, shipbuilding industry

TRANSVERSALITY, TECHNOLOGICAL TRANSFER NETWORKS AND POLICY IMPLICATIONS: THE CASE OF REGIONAL INNOVATION POLICIES IN TUSCANY REGION (SDP 2000-2006)

Recently at the European level the theme of innovation has been further fostered with the Smart Specialization Strategy underlined within the COM(2010) 553 “Regional policy contributing to smart growth in Europe 2020â€. The aim of this study is to investigate the co-evolutive dynamics of the technological transfer processes at regional level, and in particular the issue of transversality and bases of knowledge between networks according to an evolutionary perspective. Transversality is analysed considering networks’ differences and proximities in terms of industry of application, applied technology, and local dimensions of relationships. In order to analyze these phenomena, we apply the Social Network Analysis to investigate the structural features of the space of relations and relational flows, and to roles and attributes of the universe of the co-funded actors. The structural analysis of the relations’ system (centrality, closeness, betweenness, local dimension) has been analyzed across five regional initiatives, studying over 150 networks and over 1300 co-funded actors. Relations between and within networks have been normalized and the role of specific agents has been underlined with regards to transversality dynamics. As conclusion, policy implications can be drawn, in particular as far as supply-led and demand-led innovation policy. The study is structured as follows. After the introduction describing the context of regional innovation policies over the last Regional Planning period (SPD 2000-2006), the first paragraph describes the main characteristics of the concept of transversality, with connections to RIS model and innovation networks. The second paragraph describes the Social Networks Analysis methodology used to study the evolutionary process of agglomeration with regards to bases of knowledge and transversality. The third paragraph deals with the results of the analysis and the fourth paragraph presents conclusive remarks on policy implication in terms of industrial policies.

Do creative industries cluster? Mapping Creative Local Production Systems in Italy

An important debate on the role of creativity and culture as factors of local economic development is distinctly emerging. Despite the emphasis put on the theoretical definition of these concepts, it is necessary to strengthen comparative research for the identification and analysis of the kind of creativity embedded in the territory as well as its determinants. Creative local production systems are identified in Italy and Spain departing from local labour markets as territorial units, and focusing on two different kinds of creative industries: traditional cultural industries (publishing, music, architecture and engineering, performing arts) and technology-related creative industries (R&D, ICT, advertising). The results suggest the existence of different patterns of concentration of creative industries in both countries and the concentration of creative industries in thecreative industries, creative local systems, agglomeration economies

Technological innovation in creative clusters. The case of laser in conservation of artworks in Florence

The field of laser application to the restoration and cleaning of cultural assets is amongst the most thriving developments of recent times. Ablative laser technological systems are able to clean and protect inestimable works of art subject to atmospheric agents and degradation over time. This new technology, which has been developing for the last forty year, is now available to restorers and has received a significant success all over Europe. An important contribution in the process of laser innovation has been carried out in Florence by local actors belonging to a creative cluster. The objects of the analysis are the genesis of this innovation in this local Florentine context, and the relationships among the main actors who have contributed in it. The study investigates how culture can play a part in the generation of ideas and innovations, and which are the creative environments that can favour it. In this context, the issue of laser technologies for the restoration of cultural heritage has been analysed as a case study in the various paths taken by the Creative Capacity of the Culture (CCC).innovation, creative cluster, art restoration

Art Cities, Cultural Districts and Museums

The subject of economic valorisation has become a current topic and the idea that culture can be considered a factor of economic production, able to generate wealth, appears to have been generally accepted. The book consists of a series of essays about the economic valorisation of the cultural, artistic and environmental heritage of the art city of Florence using a business economics approach and will appeal to scholars and researchers focusing on the cultural economics and managerial economics of art and to practitioners in the cultural sector and policy makers

Why do creative industries cluster? An analysis of the determinants of clustering of creative industries

Creative industries tend to concentrate mainly around large- and medium-sized cities, forming creative local production systems. The text analyses the forces behind clustering of creative industries to provide the first empirical explanation of the determinants of creative employment clustering following a multidisciplinary approach based on cultural and creative economics, evolutionary geography and urban economics. A comparative analysis has been performed for Italy and Spain. The results show different patterns of creative employment clustering in both countries. The small role of historical and cultural endowments, the size of the place, the average size of creative industries, the productive diversity and the concentration of human capital and creative class have been found as common factors of clustering in both countries.creative industries, creative local production systems, creative clusters, agglomeration economies

The birth and the rise of the cluster concept: an evolutionary approach

The cluster concept has become an increasingly popular topic for researchers and policy makers. Although this concept is not new, its importance increased during the last decades. Following some authors, the persistence of the cluster concept, as well as its diffusion across different contexts and scientific fields, is a result of its fuzziness. The absence of a unique definition of cluster, as well as a unique methodology for “measuring†clusters favor its loose application to a wide variety of contexts (from economics to management, to economic geography, innovation studies and so forth). The paper aims at identifying the evolutionary pattern of the cluster concept, from the emergence, to the growth and the potential future development. The theoretical discussion is empirically supported by a bibliographic analysis based on statistical and social network analysis tools. The point of departure is an original database, consisting of 5332 academic articles about industrial clusters or industrial districts that have been published from 1989 to 2010 in international scientific journals (ISI Web of Science). We first identified the masterpieces of the cluster concept, selecting the most cited articles, second we performed a backward and forward citation analysis, in order to get information on the roots and the future development of the concept. The results shed light on the milestones in cluster literature as well as on its possible developments. The backward analysis emphasizes the multidisciplinary ground of the concept, which emerges in the realm of the agglomeration economy and local competitive advantage studies and spans over innovation and internationalization studies. The forward analysis highlights the new dimensions of the cluster concept, which give particular emphasis on the emergent literature on culture and creativity studies, as well as on the open innovation paradigm.

Creative industries in Spain: a first view

La creatividad es la habilidad de generar algo nuevo, de combinar\ud datos, percepciones y materiales para producir cosas nuevas y útiles. El 22% de la población ocupada española forma parte de la llamada «clase creativa» y el 5,7% de la producción española tiene su origen en las «industrias creativas». A pesar de estos datos, los estudios generalistas relacionados con la economía creativa en España son escasos. El objetivo del artículo es cubrir una parte de este vacío y ofrecer una visión panorámica de la economía de la creatividad en España, focalizada sobre una de sus partes, las llamadas «industrias creativas». El artículo introduce los aspectos teóricos básicos, la medición de la creatividad, los datos comparados sobre producción,\ud ocupación y localización de las industrias creativas, y el debate de políticas.Creativity is the ability to generate something new, merging data,\ud perceptions and matters in order to produce new and useful things. About 22% of the Spanish employees belong to the «creative class» and about 5.7% of the production comes from the «creative industries». Despite these data, the general research focusing on the creative economy in Spain is poor. The aim of this article is to fill\ud this space by providing a general view of the creative economy in Spain, focused on the «creative industries». The article introduces the basic theoretical aspects, the measurement of creativity, compared data about production, employment and the location of creative industries, as well as the discussion about policy

Cluster creativi per i beni culturali

The volume analyses the contribution made by companies, institutions and research bodies operating in the region of Tuscany for the development of new technologies in the field of cultural heritage. The aim is to contribute to the current debate on the innovative capacity of artistic heritage and on cities of art, understood as creative environments characterised by the presence of clusters that are capable of generating and developing heritage-driven innovations. Through the analysis of research projects and innovation networks, the studies contained in the volume investigate the instance of laser technologies for restoration and of new ICT technologies for the digitisation of cultural heritage. The volume stems from a three-year collaboration with the "Nello Carrara" Institute of Applied Physics of the CNR of Florence