The internationalization of local manufacturing systems: evidence from the Italian chair district

The present study focuses on one of the most important Italian local manufacturing systems: the chair district. Over 1200 companies operate here producing more than 44 million chairs a year, which is 80% of the entire Italian production. This district is going though a phase of transformation induced by the opportunities and threats typical of the era of the global economy. These transformations involve the sourcing, manufacturing and selling activities. On the basis of empirical research, the study analyses the evolution of the chair district and the strategic choices made by the producers: reconfiguration of the production and logistical networks, decentralization of production tasks, internalization and externalization of the phases, and diversification of supply and distribution channels.