Diversifying the industrial base of the Autonomous Province of Trento (Trentino, Italy) is an important policy priority for strengthening productivity growth, given the region’s comparatively smaller manufacturing and knowledge-intensive service sectors relative to peer regions. Drawing on sector-level employment data for 107 Italian regions and 611 local labour market systems, this paper maps the relatedness between economic activities in Italy to identify Trentino’s existing clusters of strength and realistic pathways for industrial upgrading. The analysis underscores that diversification opportunities are shaped by capabilities embedded in current specialisation patterns, reflecting the path-dependent nature of industrial development. The paper proposes a tailored industrial strategy that matches sector-specific interventions to local conditions: supporting competitiveness in established clusters, scaling up related emerging industries and fostering experimental diversification into strategic fields.
Forthcoming
Upgrading Trentino’s industrial base
A relatedness-based roadmap
Will be released on
