Abstract

The openness/growth nexus is an issue that has intrigued many scholars from different disciplines, like international economics, economic geography, regional economics, international business, for a very long time. While the theoretical implications are quite clear, the empirical evidence is mixed and scarce, especially at sub-national level. Indeed, openness is not observable at regional level; therefore, it is difficult to identify a comprehensive and reliable set of quantitative variables measuring the different dimensions of the phenomenon. Despite this objective difficulty, much has been done, and today we have a more comprehensive view of the nature of the phenomenon, as well as its trends and territorial impacts. This paper summarizes the theoretical milestones, i.e. the principles universally accepted by the literature, and the most recent empirical trends at territorial level, with especial emphasis on the contribution of Italian Regional Scientists.