Giacomo Becattini e il made in Italy distrettuale

Giacomo Becattini (1927-2017) was a one of the best known Italian economists internationally; its scholarly contribution since the 1970s can be placed at the edge of neo-classical economics and closer to disciplines that have emerged over the last 40 years also thanks to his tireless and inspirational writings, such as regional studies and economic geography, in the extended meaning of the term. In this short contribution, we recall a specific result of Becattini's studies and reflections on industrial districts, local development, and the Italian industry. That is the idea and the argumentation according to which the Italian model of international specialization has, at its core, not just a set of "sectors", but the social and productive vocations rooted in its local manufacturing systems, in particular those of the industrial districts.