The Ceramic Tile District, its Evolution and Possible Future Alternatives - a Comparison of Italy and Spain

Abstract

Territorial agglomerations have been paradigmatic examples of localised knowledge and endogenous development that are capable of containing the whole value chain of the respective production processes [1, 2]. Nevertheless, it is a widely acknowledged fact that they are currently going through a period of uncertainty and at the same time are undergoing important changes. In order to further our understanding of what may happen in the near future and bearing in mind the context in which industrial districts currently find themselves, we conducted an analysis and comparison of two industrial districts in Spain and Italy with the aim of establishing exactly how they have evolved in recent years and the kinds of relations they have developed. Our aim is to prove that the development of one cannot be explained without taking the other into account. Therefore, any attempt to understand the future of the districts should be based on this consideration.