Enterprise networks as an industrial policy tool for territorial economic development

Abstract

The article addresses “Company networks as an instrument of industrial policy for territorial economic development”, placing the theme in the economic, social and territorial framework discussed by the authors. A phenomenon that has shown a continuous and rapid growth in two and a half years since its start, confirming the validity of this instrument of industrial policy. All this thanks to the possibility of sharing information, skills and know-how, while maintaining, at the same time, the entrepreneurial autonomy, a ‘culturally’ element still fundamental for our SMEs. In terms of innovation, developing networks also means reducing the “time to market”, allowing an idea to realize concretely and reach the market before it becomes exceeded. For this reason, the Chamber System has moved, in a coordinated way together with other institutional actors, to make Network Contracts a concrete instrument of industrial policy. Always guided by the same principle and according to a logic characterized by a system action, Unioncamere has stipulated specific protocols of understanding with various associations of category, such as RetImpresa, Alliance of Italian Cooperatives, Confapi and R.

Keywords

Industrial policy; environment; innovation; human capital; social economy; small and mediumsized enterprises

JEL codes

L52; L60; O25