Distritos Industriais Marshallianos: o Caso de Águeda

Abstract

The objective of this paper is to examine whether Águeda is a Marshallian industrial district or not, and to determine the importance of this model of organization to the industrial dynamics of this concelho. Following a brief review of the literature on industrial districts, which identifies the main characteristics of this model of industrial organization, an empirical study is presented, based on a survey applied to some industrial firms from Águeda. The analysis illustrates a concelho characterized by the co-presence of small-sized firms, highly specialized and by the strong interdependence between local firms. Furthermore, one should refer to the existence of a great interaction between firms and the local community and to the important role played by local institutions in the industrial development of this concelho.