Giacomo Becattini e il distretto industriale come laboratorio territoriale di un capitalismo diverso

The XXXVIII AISRe Conference, held in Cagliari in September 2017, was specifically aimed at stimulating the scientific debate on the Regional Sci- ence issues related to the analysis of both the local and global factors that have influenced the regional development process after the recent Great Recession. Regions, territories and urban areas have experienced quite unevenly the nega- tive effects of the economic crisis. Such effects have been exacerbated by the costs induced by the globalisation process and the still incomplete economic integration and, in certain cases amplified by international trade imbalances and the destabilising effects of the financial sector. Moreover, also the still feeble signs of the economic recovery seem to be very diversified across territories. A number of conference contributions have investigated regions’ structural features in terms of innovation potential, human capital and openness to distant markets. Such features are deemed to be the sources of their resilience, adapta- tion and regeneration capabilities. Coupled with good public policies, regional characteristics could play a key role in triggering the mechanisms that will allow to recover, not only what has been lost in a ten year period of economic down- turn, but also in identifying the new trajectories for a more effective, sustainable and inclusive regional development process. The theme of new trajectories of local development was also specifically addressed in two roundtables dedicated to the memory of Giacomo Becattini, who passed away in January 2017. The relevant topicality of Becattini’s thoughtcould still inspire novel research avenues in regional science and serve as a basis for sound policy proposals. The book is organized in three parts. The first one, edited by Emanuela Marrocu and Stefano Usai, is on innovation and international openness. The second part, which focuses on human capital and migration, is edited by Bianca Biagi and Alessandra Faggian. Marco Bellandi edited the third part, a tribute to Giacomo Becattini’s work.