Abstract

The article introduces the contributions on internationalisation included in this issue. The study of contemporary Italian industry can benefit from analyses of what happens outside our boundaries. Such analyses are necessary, first of all because the Italian industry seems more and more often to be crossing the national boundaries: the internationalisation dynamics of its firms, its filieres, its districts are important phenomena that it is necessary to study very carefully. At the same time, studies are necessary also for the opposite reason, i.e. because the Italian industry seems to be unable to overcome other boundaries, that are the sectoral ones. The country specialisation has not changed: a part from some important but very rare exceptions, traditional sectors appear to be dynamic at global level, but research and technology intensive sectors are not present on the international scenario. This is the framework of the contributions included in this issue of "l'industria". Even if they do not deal with the whole scenario, they nevertheless continue the analysis that started on the issue n. 3/2007 of our journal.