| Abstract: |
ABSTRACT The first aim of the paper is to analyze the presence of knowledge in
innovative firms located in industrial districts (ID) in order to contrast it
with this kind of firm located in non industrial districts areas (NID). This
approach assumes the presence of an industrial district effect, i.e., the
presumption of a better performance of knowledge and economic results in the
first group of firms. Second, we have attempted to identify the existence of
interdistrict effect, i.e., the emergence of gaps in knowledge of innovative
firms located in ID with different technological intensity. For both purposes
we have chosen the Valencian ID in Spain. Besides, with the introduction of
innovative firms as units of analysis we have assumed that: a) They reflect a
superior use of knowledge resources as inputs for business innovation
generation and b) Their greatest use of such resources facilitate the
absorption of knowledge spillovers that flow through the district. The
empirical analysis has used an unprecedented database containing information
of 5,553 innovative companies we have found in the region. The mean analysis
applied has allowed us to identify the variables with statistically
significant differences, as a preliminary step to isolate the groups of firms
with more pronounced central values. The results have shown the presence of
differences characterizing differently innovative companies of ID and NID as
well as the groups of innovative firms belonging to districts of different
technological level. In the first case the superiority of innovative companies
has not arisen and, consequently, we cannot confirm the existence of a
district effect. Nevertheless, we have detected some evidence of
inter-industrial effect in the gradation performance of innovation firms of
shoes, textiles and tales. |