Upgrading e riposizionamento delle imprese distrettuali nella catena internazionale del valore

This paper by exploiting a unique dataset addresses the issue of functional and competitive upgrading of firms located in Italian industrial districts as a response to the increasing competition among suppliers of intermediate goods along global value chains (GVC). In order to maintain or improve their positions in the global economy, firms try to move from low-value to relatively high-value activities using upgrading strategies. The specific questions included in the ad hoc survey form, designed according to the state of the art of the GVC literature, allows an in depth empirical analysis of these upgrading patterns. In particular, they allow to explore the different upgrading behaviour used by firms located inside and outside districts and how these strategies can boost the competitiveness of industrial districts with respect to new global challenges.