Innovative renewal of ceramic-tile manufacturing in Sassuolo: A local manufacturing system between tradition and restructuring

Innovative renewal of manufacturing in Sassuolo (Italy) is presented as a response to some of the most recent transformations in the global ceramic-tile industry. This response consists in a shift to a higher-value product segment (gres) and it is underpinned by the evolution of the local system as a whole. Four main pillars are identified: the tradition of the Italian industrial districts whose Sassuolo is a renowned example, the reconfiguration of structures and ties, revisited cross-sectoral complementarities, and the interaction with public policy. These dynamics are tightly intertwined and so, the discussion most case-specific. Nonetheless, systematic private-private and public-private interactions and the alignment of public policy with the trajectories of change can be derived as the main implications for policy making aimed to support innovative renewal in mature economies.