No. 194 - Industry in the South of Italy and the crisis

In the last decade, and especially in the course of the recent global economic slowdown, the gap between southern and northern industry has widened. Industrial investment and employment decreased more sharply in the South than in the rest of Italy, and the contribution of the southern regions to the total industrial value added diminished. In this report we analyse southern industry micro- and macro-economically, showing that the area suffers from the same structural problems that affect the Italian economy overall, but more severely: small firm size, specialization in relatively low-tech sectors, and scant innovation and internationalization. Although the weaknesses prevail over the strengths, there are signs of vitality for some local productive systems and types of firms, mainly large enterprises.