Information and communication technologies diffusion in industrial districts - An interpretive approach

The research presented in this paper reviews the diffusion of network technologies in the Italian industrial districts by applying an interpretive process framework. We describe the social process and the context that characterize the district as a peculiar socio-economic reality. On this background we discuss two surveys carried on during last three years in twelve Italian industrial districts concerning the diffusion of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs). The surveys document the widespread diffusion of ICTs that support communication flows and infrastructure such as email and ISDN and ASDL connections whereas technologies that have an impact on the business models like ERP systems and e-commerce applications are less diffused. We elaborate on these findings and argue that the different trends in diffusion depend both on technological/economic reasons and sociocultural issues. On one hand district firms hold low technical expertise and cannot afford high costs technologies; on the other hand they perceive ICTs as an inadequate substitute to the rich network of relationships they have already built up during decades of interactions. In this context the special role of the local institutions in the process of sustaining the diffusion of the innovations will also be examined.