Abstract

Emilia-Romagna (er) is an exemplary case of industrialization based on smes that ensured both fast economic growth and social cohesion. Differently from other Italian regions with a similar industrial structure, industrialisation in er was supported by local policies since an early stage: in the 1950s and 1960s principally those of municipalities and provincial governments and then those of the regional government. A peculiar trait of er is its strong political stability as since 1945 nearly all major local governments in the region have been controlled by the same party: the Italian Communist Party till 1991 and then its successor parties. This article analyses the role of smes in the vision of the region’s ruling party and how this affected both the governance system and industrial policy in er. The article shows how vision, governance and policy intertwined and changed over time sustaining structural change and economic resilience in the region. However, in recent years some critical points have emerged. The article suggests these point can be addressed in a more sustainable way by opening regional governance to new actors