This paper compares the evolution of trade specialisation, by technological content, of Emilia-Romagna, Lombardia, Marche, Veneto and the Italian average over 1992-2002. It is shown that, over the period, the four regions’ export performance has been negatively affected by the stationarity of sectorial comparative advantages vis-à-vis the evolution of the structure of world demand. Only Veneto shifted its specialisation from low-tech to high-tech, while the other regions became increasingly despecialised in high-tech productions. At the end of the decade the four regions’ trade specialisation patterns is still dominated by the low-tech “made in Italy” goods. The four regions have a comparative disadvantage in the sectors with stronger world export growth, though they show some advantages in industries whose world demand rose at intermediate speed. Over the decade the specialisation in the world fastest growing sectors grew for Veneto, was unchanged for Marche, and decreased for Emilia-Romagna; Lombardia and Italy mitigated their comparative disadvantages in those sectors. The four regions’ exports are generally more concentrated than the world’s in the low-tech sectors; the negative gap between the regional and the world shares of high-tech exports has widened over the decade.
Published in 2004 in: C. Conigliani (ED) Tra sviluppo e stagnazione: l'economia dell' Emilia Romagna , Bologna, il Mulino
