Absorptive capacity and localized spillovers: focal firms as technological gatekeepers in industrial districts

Federico Munari, Maurizio Sobrero, Alessandro Malipiero · 2011 · Industrial and Corporate Change

Summary. In Italy's automatic packaging machinery cluster, large focal firms act as technological gatekeepers, absorbing external knowledge and redistributing it locally. The study of 720 patents shows district firms prefer local knowledge, focal firms access external sources more than others, and non-focal firms disproportionately build on focal firms' innovations. Geography and firm size shape how knowledge flows through industrial districts.

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Munari, F., Sobrero, M., & Malipiero, A.. (2011). Absorptive capacity and localized spillovers: focal firms as technological gatekeepers in industrial districts. Industrial and Corporate Change. https://doi.org/10.1093/icc/dtr053

@article{munari-2011-absorptive-capacity-localized-spillovers-focal,
  title   = {Absorptive capacity and localized spillovers: focal firms as technological gatekeepers in industrial districts},
  author  = {Federico Munari and Maurizio Sobrero and Alessandro Malipiero},
  journal = {Industrial and Corporate Change},
  year    = {2011},
  doi     = {10.1093/icc/dtr053},
  url     = {https://doi.org/10.1093/icc/dtr053}
}

TY  - JOUR
TI  - Absorptive capacity and localized spillovers: focal firms as technological gatekeepers in industrial districts
AU  - Federico Munari
AU  - Maurizio Sobrero
AU  - Alessandro Malipiero
JO  - Industrial and Corporate Change
PY  - 2011
DO  - 10.1093/icc/dtr053
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1093/icc/dtr053
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Details

DOI: 10.1093/icc/dtr053
Countries: Italy, United States
Regions: Europe, North America
Categories: regional-innovation-systems, innovation-networks, general-innovation
Added: 2026-04-28