In today's globalising world, the regional specialisations built up over decades are transforming rapidly. Many regions that were historically production-centres in a given sector are losing out to lower-cost locations and reorienting to higher value-added niches.
Aim of this paper is to analyse the national programmes to promote cluster-based approaches - linking firms, people and knowledge at a regional level - that are being used to meet the challenge.
The paper analyses the objectives, targeting, instruments and intergovernmental role sharing used by programmes that are being adopted in some OECD countries, included Italy.