Innovation and e-commerce in clusters of small firms: The case of a regional e-marketplace

Eleonora Lorenzini

No 3, DEM Working Papers Series from University of Pavia, Department of Economics and Management

Abstract: This paper draws on the literature on innovation in clusters and e-commerce to investigate how a particular kind of innovation project, the establishment of a regional e-marketplace (REM), may contribute to regional development. Using a firm-centred perspective, the role of geographical and cognitive proximity, absorptive capacity and other firm characteristics in the adoption and development of this particular type of innovation project is assessed. Hypotheses are tested with reference to the case of an REM recently established in the Italian area of Valtellina. The policy implications of the study are that REMs deserve support as an instrument of territorial development both in the establishment and in the implementation phase, more with “soft policies” than with “hard policies”.

Keywords: clusters; innovation policy; e-commerce; proximity; Italy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 33 pages
Date: 2012-10
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-cse, nep-ent, nep-geo, nep-ino, nep-knm, nep-ppm, nep-sbm and nep-ure
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

Downloads: (external link)
http://dem-web.unipv.it/web/docs/dipeco/quad/ps/RePEc/pav/demwpp/DEMWP0003.pdf (application/pdf)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:pav:demwpp:demwp0003

Access Statistics for this paper

More papers in DEM Working Papers Series from University of Pavia, Department of Economics and Management Contact information at EDIRC.
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Alice Albonico ( this e-mail address is bad, please contact ).