Abstract

The paper analyses the automotive in Emilia-Romagna and the regional role of German manufacturers. The study is placed in the context of the global transformations that the sector has undergone from the Nineties on. During this period, substantial processes of reorganization of the social and geographical division of labour has taken place, and have directly and indirectly affected the traditional places of production, such as Emilia-Romagna. The work focuses on the current shape of the sector in the region on the macro and micro levels. First, an analysis of the sectoral trade flows between the region and other countries will be made. Second, a descriptive study on firm-level data drawn from an original database merging financial sheets and patenting data will be realized, with a specific focus on the comparison between Italian, German and other foreign manufacturers. The study suggests that Emilia-Romagna is substantially integrated, on the trade side, with EU 12 and specifically Germany, and that German firms play a significant role in terms of employment and innovative activity in the region. It calls for further studies analysing in depth, with ad-hoc data collection, the relation between the local production chains and German actors to evaluate the dynamics of value creation.