Productive clusters and high-tech clusters: the Apulian scenario

This paper focuses on how Apulia has been engaged - for more than a decade - in refining an innovative model of industrial policy aiming at integrating enterprise, research and institution world in a single effective model depending on productive clusters and high-tech clusters. In fact, there is a tendency to create productive divisions or real productive chains, regardless of their pertinence to a certain area, involving territorial institutions interested that act like a binding agent. After a review of national provisions, this paper aims at focusing on the Apulian regional model of productive and high-tech clusters - a model in which currently 15 productive clusters and 4 high-tech clusters are recorded. With the aid of adequate study tools, the second part of this paper highlights both the experience and the latest data available for Apulian clusters, which could be a driving force in the next future, not only within regional economy. In the light of this, Apulian high-tech clusters are observed more closely through dedicated interviews which have allowed to retrieve information and data otherwise not available.