Changing Governance of Local Economies: Responses of European Local Production Systems

Abstract

This book features case studies on national patterns of local production systems, focusing on small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in France, Germany, Italy, and the UK. It is divided into three parts. Part I analyses the two cases that dominated the initial, 1980s industrial district literature: Emilia-Romagna and Baden Wurttemberg; and the machinery industry. Part II focuses on pre-crisis, large-firm, Fordist specialization. Part III presents examples of new industries where SME clusters are important: the biopharmaceutical industries around Oxford, the media sector in Cologne, information technology in Pisa, and computer technologies in Grenoble. © C. Crouch, P. Le Galès, C. Trigilia, and H. Voelzkow 2004. All rights reserved.