The technological car district in Piedmont: definitions, dynamic, policy

International Journal of Automotive Technology and Management

Volumn 1, Issue 4, 2001, Pages 397-415

  Bianchi, Ronny ^a   Enrietti, Aldo ^b   Lanzetti, Renato ^c  

^a Piazza Indipendenza 4 ^*  (Italy)

^b UNIVERSITY OF TURIN   (Italy)

^c IRES Piemonte   (Italy)

Author keywords

Automobile industry; knowledge; organisation; small and medium enterprises; supplier system; technological district

Indexed keywords

EID: 31544445641     PISSN: 14709511     EISSN: 17415012     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1504/IJATM.2001.000048     Document Type: Article

References (37)

1. Reference is made to ‘automotive’ because the area specialises in all aspects of the vehicle industry (e.g. trucks with IVECO, builders of bodies for buses and trailers for trucks) and not only cars, even if the car industry is still the most important.
2. It is meaningful that a 1991 volume of IRES, the Research Center of Piedmont Region, was entitled From Induced Activities To System.
3. Bianchi, R. and Enrietti, A. (2001) ‘Le district technologique de l’automobile en Piemont’, Revue Internationale P.M.E., Vol. 14, No. 1, pp.9–35.
4. Gilly, J.P. (1994) ‘Dinamiche industriali e meso-analisi: Il caso dei sistemi di innovazione’, L'Industria, No. 2, pp.296, 298.
5. Lundvall, B.A. (1988) ‘Innovation as an interactive process: from user-producer interaction to the national system of innovation’, in G. Dosi et al. (Eds.) Technical Change and Economic Theory, London, Pinter Publishers.
6. Carlsson, B. (1992) ‘Industrial dynamics: a framework for analysis of industrial transformation’, Revue d'économie industrielle, No. 61, pp.7–32.
7. Gilly, J.P. and Grossetti, M. (1993) ‘Organisation, individus et territoires: le cas des systèmes locaux d’innovation’, Revue d'Economie Régional et Urbaine, No. 3, pp.449–468.
8. Camera di Commercio di Torino (1998) Osservatorio sulla componentistica autoveicolare italiana, Turin, Camera di Commercio di Torino.
9. ISTAT (1999) Censimento intermedio industria e servizi. Piemonte, Rome, Poligrafico dello Stato.
10. Antonelli, C. (1986) L'attività innovativa in un distretto tecnologico, Turin, Fondazione Giovanni Agnelli, pp.22–23.
11. See: Becattini, G. (Ed.). (1987) Mercato e forze locali: il distretto industriale, Bologna, Il Mulino
12. Pyke, F., Becattini, G. and Sengenberger, W. (Eds.) (1990) Industrial districts and inter-firm cooperation in Italy, Geneva, International Labour Office;
13. Becattini, G. (1992) ‘Le district marshallien: une notion socio-économique’, in G. Benko and A. Lipietz (Eds.) Les régions qui gagnent, Paris, Presse Universitaire de France, pp.33–55.
14. In other words, external economies have a strong technological character.
15. Antonelli, C. (1999) The Microeconomics of Technological System, Oxford University Press, Oxford.
16. For a recent discussion on this concept see the special issue of Industrial and Corporate Change, (2000) No. 2.
17. see: Nonaka, I. and Takeuci, H. (1995) The Knowledge Creating Company, Oxford University Press, New York.
18. Antonelli, C. (1999) The Microdynamics of the Technological Change, Routledge, London, p.46.
19. Remember that, even at the beginning of the 1990s, the degree of vertical integration in Fiat Auto in components design was 76%.
20. see: Enrietti, A. (1995) ‘Il settore dei componenti auto: struttura e dinamica’, Economia e Politica Industriale, No. 88, pp.131–151.
21. For example, radiators, assisted steering, cardanic transmission, brake components, valves.
22. see: Enrietti, A. (1982) ‘Le imprese italiane a partecipazione estera nel settore della componentistica auto’ in G. Fornengo and E. Rullani (Eds.) L’industria dell’auto e dei componenti: integrazione e internazionalizzazione produttiva, Milan, Franco Angeli.
23. Lamming, R. (1994) Beyond Partnership, Prentice Hall International, London;
24. Sinclair, J. and Mercer, G. (1993) ‘Successful automotive suppliers in the 1990s: lessons from the 1980s’, Europe’s Automotive Components Business, 2nd quarter, pp.67–91.
25. Some examples of price reductions might be useful: Renault, -18% between 1997 and 2000; PSA, -25% from 1997 to 2000; Ford, -5% per annum between 1996 and 2000; Honda UK, - 1.5% per annum and Fiat 3% per annum.
26. There are even examples of suppliers having their production line inside the customer’s factory, as is the case with Recaro which manufactures seats in the Mercedes factory at Bremen, Continental which manufactures tyres in the VW factory at Salzgitter and Magneti Marelli which assembles suspension units in Fiat Auto plants.
27. In 1993, suppliers of modules accounted for 22.2% of the purchases of European car manufacturers while it was forecast to reach 42.8% in 2000.
28. In 1990 Mercedes had 2,500 suppliers, GM Europe 2,000, Ford Europe and VW 1700, Audi and PSI 1,250, BMW and Renault 1,100, and Fiat 720, while Honda had 270, Toyota 260, Mazda 180 and Nissan 162.
29. The aim of many European car manufacturers for the mid-1990s was: 500 suppliers for Mercedes and Fiat, BMW 450, Audi 400, Ford and PSA 600 Renault 700 and VW 1000. In fact, as shown in Table 1, in 1994 Fiat had already reduced the number of its suppliers to 410.
30. Giaccaria, P. (1999) Competitività e sviluppo locale. Produrre valore a Torino, Franco Angeli, Milan.
31. Follis, M. and Enrietti, A. (2001) ‘Improving performances at the second tier of the automotive supply chain. A draft case study of an innovative initiative in the Italian car industry’, International Journal of Automotive Technology and Management, in this issue.
32. Enrietti, A. (1997) ‘Il processo di selezione nella componentistica auto piemontese’, IRES Lucia Morosini, Quaderni di ricerca, Turin, No. 26, pp.1–54.
33. Signed 5 May 1999 by the Minister of Employment, the President of the Piedmont Region, the President of the Turin Province, the Mayor of Turin and the representatives of economic and social groups.
34. For example: motor vehicles, bodywork, parts and accessories, electrical parts for motor vehicles, tyres.
35. It is possible to indicate the case of metal melting, forging, pressing, products in plastic and in rubber.
36. It can be the case for R&D centres, engineering and product certification offices. Repair workshops, sales rooms and insurance can also be taken into consideration.
37. As required by the present regional law on districts.