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The Positive Effect of Industrial District on the Export Performance of Italian Firms

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Abstract

Economies of scale in the provision of export services and informal face-to-face exchanges of information about export markets may improve export performance of small firms located in Marshallian districts (locales). This paper presents an empirical test of this hypothesis and finds that geographical agglomeration of small-medium firms in a delimited area significantly affects their export intensity and their probability of becoming exporters. The significance of geographical agglomeration persists in spite of all controls which show how the dependent variable is also (positively) affected by export subsidies, formal export cooperation among firms, cooperation in (and quality of) innovation, size and age.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Facoltà di Economia, Dipartimento di Economia e Istituzioni, Università Tor Vergata, Roma, Via di Tor Vergata snc, 00133, Roma, Italia

    Leonardo Becchetti

  2. Facoltà di Economia, Istituto di Studi Economici, Istituto Universitario Navale, Via Medina 40, 80133, Napoli, Italia

    Stefania P. S. Rossi

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  1. Leonardo Becchetti
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  2. Stefania P. S. Rossi
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Becchetti, L., Rossi, S.P.S. The Positive Effect of Industrial District on the Export Performance of Italian Firms. Review of Industrial Organization 16, 53–68 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1007783900387

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1007783900387

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