Laboratorio Catania. Radicamento e trasformazione della produzione microelettronica

Through a case study of microelectronics in an region weak in innovative activities, the article identifies three stages of its development: establishment in the years of mass production, consolidation through innovative capacity and partnership with local science-technology organizations, and recent growth. The role of manufacturing collaborations in the industry, high-tech-oriented local governance, scientific-technological collaborations, and supportive policies are analysed in relation to the permanence and the recent development, focusing on the experience of STMicroelectronics in Catania. In the conclusions, the results of the case study are compared with the literature on local innovation systems, suggesting an increase in the relevance of factors such as large firms operating in competitive contexts and industrial and territorial policies aimed at strengthening the technological profile of the production base.