The evolution of a technologically dinamic district: the case of Montebelluna

This chapter1 describes the pattern of evolution of a famous industrial district located in the north-east of Northern Italy. The Montebelluna district, located in the province of Treviso, is the world leader in technical sports shoes, ski and trekking boots, motorcycle boots and bicycle shoes. The district is marked by the presence of some international companies, established in the 1990s through the acquisition of local firms. The Montebelluna district is considered one of the most innovative in Italy because it is made up of dynamic evolutionary firms which have introduced important radical innovations in the past, which have given rise to the international dominance of the district in the technologies for the production of ski boots. Related to that, the district has achieved widespread success in its international market outlets (Belussi and Pilotti 2002). The district specializes2 in sports shoes and in sports garments, but it produces numerous other technical products, so it has been defined as ‘the sport-system district’ (Club dei distretti industriali 2003). The district was formed in 2004 by about 400 firms (300 producers of footwear and 100 producers of clothing) that employ around 8000 workers. Montebelluna represents a model of an evolutionary district, because, over time, its industrial structure has evolved, and there are now dominant Schumpeterian players in the district. Even if the role of SMEs is still relevant, numerous informal and formal groups have also been created. In Section 5.2, an overview of the district is presented. Section 5.3 deals with the analysis of its historical formation. In Section 5.4 the results of our empirical survey are presented. Section 5.5 presents an assessment of the evolutionary pattern of the district in the context of globalization.