Industry 4.0 technological trajectories and traditional manufacturing regions: the role of knowledge workers

The technological trajectory of a region depends on the local repository of competences and knowledge, and their evolution over time. Using the case of a region with Marshallian features, we explore the Industry 4.0 potential for regional transformation showing how the employment ratios of synthetic and analytical knowledge workers of local firms evolve in relation to the adoption of a set of digital technologies. Results show that technological change in this type of region exhibits strong path dependence and goes hand in hand mainly with an increase in the employment ratio of synthetic knowledge workers.