THE ECONOMIC DYNAMICS AS FEATURE OF AN AREA: THE CASE OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP OF SFAX?

Abstract

The economic dynamics of a geographical area as an "industrial district" or as an "innovative milieu" has been analyzed by numerous theories and approaches. Therefore, the complexity of the phenomenon needs more than one theory or approach to grasp all its aspects. Nevertheless, one needs to identify the core characteristics that provide the economic dynamics of a given territory. For this purpose we will adopt a synthetic analysis method to identify the main characteristics of an industrial cluster, and then elaborate a comprehensive concept that elucidates the whole phenomenon. The theoretical findings will be applied to the case of Sfax -the second biggest city of Tunisia- which presents exceptional economic dynamics. The research focusing on the economic activities of Sfax was led by authors from various disciplines, providing data needed for this paper.