From economic dualism to local variety: The development of service industries in Italian regions

Abstract

The paper aims to identify the weight of, and principal dynamics in, the manufacturing and service sectors in the Italian regions, in order to better recognise and define the development paths of individual regional economies. On the basis of data published by the National Statistics Institute, a cluster analysis was carried out. The results show a differentiation in the dynamics of tertiarisation, with some regions ready to strengthen services within a virtuous cycle that also favours the development of manufacturing, while other regions appear anchored to an almost pre-industrial model, where the service sector is principally made up of the public administration.