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Explore the impact of social capital on regional development and enterprise networks in Italy, focusing on policy measures, successful strategies, and the evolution from positive experiences to normative approaches.
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Social capital and upgradingofSmallenterprisenetworks: whathavewelearned? Seminario CoCap Porto Alegre 28 09 2012 Tito Bianchi Evaluation Unit Department of Development and Cohesion Italy
INDEX • Social capital, regionaldevelopment and upgradingofenterprisenetworks • Italian policy measures and theirtrajectory • Whathavewelearnedfrom positive experiences
Social Capital in social science • Measuresof social capital are beingassessed -> theirrelationshipswithdevelopmentproven • Indicatorsused are unsatisfactoryproxies; • Social network analyses are increasinglypopular -> assessintensityof relations, internalhierarchy, opennessofnetworks;
Social capital and regionaldevelopment policy in Italy • Italianliterature on Industrial districtsof the 1980s-90s hasidentifiedidentity bonds and trust as an ingredient of localized small firmdevelopment. • Sociologicalliterature on (Putnam 1993) identifiescivicnessas an ingredient of regionaldevelopment Can cooperative attitude be inducedthrough policy intervention?
From positive to normative • Districts, filières, firmcooperation, fromspontaneousphenomenabecomecategoriesof policy intervention Firms, associations, branchesofgovernment are awardedresources and benefits in exchangeforcommitmentto cooperate
SeveralPolicy instrumentsthataim at inducing social capital in networksoffirmshavebeenactive in Italy • 1997 – 2004 Patti Territoriali • 2003 – 2010 Progetti Integrati Territoriali • 2005 – today Distretti Tecnologici • 2010 - today Reti d’Impresa … allattemptsatreproducing the collaborative conditionsthatmakegroups of firmscollectively more competitive
financial incentives to a group of locally based and integrated projects designed by a coalition of local actors 230 Patti funded, after bidding process, in subsequent generations between 1997/8 and 2001 – total value of 5.5 Billion (current) Euro Patti Territoriali to promote local development in Italy • financial incentives awarded to a group of locally-based firms: integrated investment plan designed by a coalition of local actors • “Patto” consisted of a package of grants to firms’ investment and of (up to a max of 30%) infrastructure operations
2000-2006 EU regional development Plan introduced in Italy…. ProgettiIntegratiTerritoriali “Composite project for the development of an area, which includes a set of different operations that all contribute, in interaction with each other, to a common development strategy, devised by local actors in response to concrete needs and opportunities.”
ITP distribution by Italian Region, and incidence on total EU Regional Funds available
A new generation of policy toolsdoesnot award incentivesdirectly to firms • Lighter policy tools start by identifying-legitimizing an institution • «State-recognized» institutionsactasintermediaries of different policy incentives, national and regional
Distretti Tecnologici • GOALS • To induce collaborationwithin a public-private network of firms, regionaladministrations and research centers • To facilitate che application and valorization of results of scientificresearch • Developregionalinnovationsystemspromotingregionalspecialization
Distretti Tecnologici • Refer to a specificregional area • Have a sectoral focus • are managed by a ltd. Company: consortium • Havealsoproliferatedwithmanysectoralduplicates in differentregions
I 34 distretti tecnologici Edilizia sostenibile (Trento), Edilizia sostenibile (Bolzano) ict, materiali avanzati, Biotecnologie, agroalimentare biomedicina molecolare Navale e nautico nanotech ict - torino wireless hi-mech - alta tecnologia meccanica Tecnologie marine Qualità della vita e sicurezza nell’abitare Sistemi intelligenti integrati Materiali speciali metallurgici ict & security innovazione sicurezza e qualità degli alimenti innovazione agroindustriale aerospazio e difesa agroalimentare bioscienze meccatronica Beni culturali high-tech Tecnologie per la tutela Rischi idrogeologici ingegneria dei materiali polimerici e compositi e strutture energia Biomedicina e tecnologie della salute Logistica della trasformazione logistica e trasformazione restauro dei beni culturali agrobio e pesca eco-compatibile micro e nanosistemi Energia petrolchimica e ambiente tecnologico trasporti navali commerciali e da diporto
Recent Policy - Reti d’impresa / Contratto di rete • National business unionrequested more simple and inexpensiveformsofcollaborationforfirmstopursueactivitiestogether • L.122/2010 introducedenterprisenetworksestablishedthrough a contract • Firmssign “Contratti di rete” to take reciprocalcommitments and sayingwhodoeswhat; • Public authoritiesrecognize the validityofthis agreement whenthey award benefitsofdifferentkinds
In July 2012 ,412 Contratti di rete could be counted in Italy
Summing up: Policy Trajectoryovertime • Policy evolves: • frompromoting more formalizedto “lighter” formsofcollaboration • fromclearlydelimitedterritorialareas, tonon-spatialfirmnetworks • New emphasisresearch and developmentactivities; • Timehorizonofbecomeslessclearlydelimited, and the activities more open-flexible
Whathavewelearnedabout producer groups-coalitions? • Withinspecificterritories, supposedlyendowedwithsamelevelof social capital, differentgroups of agents can establishdifferentlevels/forms of cooperation; • Economic agents can establish cooperative arrangements or institutions with anti-developmentresults • the degreeofopennesstoexternalmarkets and knowledgethrough«developmentalintermediaries» and otherexternalsupportersiskey
Whathavewelearnedabout producer groups?Findings more specific to Agri-Food-Processing • Controlling the entireagriculture-processingchainisuseful to promote and establishproductquality (wine, cheese) • Leveragelead-farmerswhopossessexternalcontacts: localsmallfirmslack the widerperspectivetoperceive the possiblevalueoflocalproducts on externalmarkets--> oftenbenefitsextendtosmallfirms; • An export orientedstrategyhastobegradual: reputationforproductqualityhastobeestablished first locally.
Whatwehavelearned on the effectiveness of policiespromotingproductivecoalitions-groups • Repeated policy experience of firmcoalitionsstrengthens trust through positive expectations • When public resources are at stake, formalcoalitions of producers can be developmental or rent-seeking • The leader roleswithin «Recognized» or formalized producer groupshas to be contendible
Obrigado / ThankYou / Grazie • tito.bianchi@tesoro.it