IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/jknowl/v9y2018i1d10.1007_s13132-015-0325-9.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Italian Craft Firms Between Digital Manufacturing, Open Innovation, and Servitization

Author

Listed:
  • Angelo Bonfanti

    (University of Verona)

  • Manlio Del Giudice

    (Link Campus University)

  • Armando Papa

    (University of Naples “Federico II”)

Abstract

This paper focuses on craft firms that have contributed to the creation of a strong image of Italy in the world and encouraged the development of industrial districts and small firms in the country over the past decades. However, ongoing economic, technological, social, and cultural changes in recent years have made it difficult for these firms to survive: since the beginning of the economic crisis in 2008 until 2015, almost 94,400 craft workshops have closed, which amounts to a 7.26 % rate of decrease. In order to face these challenges, craft entrepreneurs must be innovative and review the ways in which they provide value to customers. By means of a qualitative explorative analysis, this study aims to analyze recent strategic directions undertaken by some Italian craft firms and identify the opportunities derived from them. It highlights three directions in particular: (1) to embrace the use of digital technologies, rather than viewing them as a threat to the firm’s future, (2) to involve customers in the design and production processes and expand the firm’s network, and (3) to offer a wide range of services in relation to their products. Following all three of these strategic paths will help craft firms to survive and increase their competitive advantage by capturing opportunities offered by new technologies and new ways to produce. This paper concludes that mixing ancient and digital knowledge in an open context of collaboration will allow craft entrepreneurs to positively look to the future.

Suggested Citation

  • Angelo Bonfanti & Manlio Del Giudice & Armando Papa, 2018. "Italian Craft Firms Between Digital Manufacturing, Open Innovation, and Servitization," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 9(1), pages 136-149, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:jknowl:v:9:y:2018:i:1:d:10.1007_s13132-015-0325-9
    DOI: 10.1007/s13132-015-0325-9
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s13132-015-0325-9
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s13132-015-0325-9?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Vandermerwe, Sandra & Rada, Juan, 1988. "Servitization of business: Adding value by adding services," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 6(4), pages 314-324, December.
    2. Marco Cioppi & Fabio Musso & Elisabetta Savelli, 2014. "Economic Crisis and Smes’ Behavior: An Analysis on the Furniture Sector in Italy," The International Journal of Economic Behavior - IJEB, Faculty of Business and Administration, University of Bucharest, vol. 4(1), pages 115-126.
    3. Manlio Giudice & Maria Della Peruta & Vincenzo Maggioni, 2013. "Collective Knowledge and Organizational Routines within Academic Communities of Practice: an Empirical Research on Science–Entrepreneurs," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 4(3), pages 260-278, September.
    4. Valérie Mathieu, 2001. "Service strategies within the manufacturing sector: benefits, costs and partnership," Post-Print hal-01796269, HAL.
    5. Martin Falk & Fei Peng, 2013. "The increasing service intensity of European manufacturing," The Service Industries Journal, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 33(15-16), pages 1686-1706, December.
    6. Joseph Francois & Julia Woerz, 2008. "Producer Services, Manufacturing Linkages, and Trade," Journal of Industry, Competition and Trade, Springer, vol. 8(3), pages 199-229, December.
    7. repec:but:manage:v:4:y:2014:i:1:p:115-126 is not listed on IDEAS
    8. Pal, Rudrajeet & Torstensson, Håkan & Mattila, Heikki, 2014. "Antecedents of organizational resilience in economic crises—an empirical study of Swedish textile and clothing SMEs," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 147(PB), pages 410-428.
    9. Lars Jonsson & Enrico Baraldi & Lars-Eric Larsson & Petter Forsberg & Kristofer Severinsson, 2015. "Targeting Academic Engagement in Open Innovation: Tools, Effects and Challenges for University Management," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 6(3), pages 522-550, September.
    10. Eleni Papaoikonomou & Pere Segarra & Xiaoni Li, 2012. "Entrepreneurship in the Context of Crisis: Identifying Barriers and Proposing Strategies," International Advances in Economic Research, Springer;International Atlantic Economic Society, vol. 18(1), pages 111-119, February.
    11. Joseph Francois & Julia Woerz, 2008. "Producer Services, Manufacturing Linkages, and Trade," Journal of Industry, Competition and Trade, Springer, vol. 8(3), pages 199-229, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Marco Bettiol & Mauro Capestro & Eleonora Di Maria & Roberto Ganau, 2024. "Is this time different? How Industry 4.0 affects firms’ labor productivity," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 62(4), pages 1449-1467, April.
    2. Bach Q. Ho, 2024. "Customers’ Prior Knowledge in the Servitization of Traditional Handicrafts," Businesses, MDPI, vol. 4(1), pages 1-11, February.
    3. Usai, A. & Fiano, F. & Messeni Petruzzelli, A. & Paoloni, P. & Farina Briamonte, M. & Orlando, B., 2021. "Unveiling the impact of the adoption of digital technologies on firms’ innovation performance," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 133(C), pages 327-336.
    4. Marino-Romero, Jorge Alberto & Palos-Sánchez, Pedro R. & Velicia-Martín, Félix, 2024. "Evolution of digital transformation in SMEs management through a bibliometric analysis," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 199(C).
    5. Hisham Alidrisi, 2021. "The Development of an Efficiency-Based Global Green Manufacturing Innovation Index: An Input-Oriented DEA Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(22), pages 1-11, November.
    6. Mariani, Marcello & Borghi, Matteo, 2019. "Industry 4.0: A bibliometric review of its managerial intellectual structure and potential evolution in the service industries," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 149(C).
    7. Obradović, Tena & Vlačić, Božidar & Dabić, Marina, 2021. "Open innovation in the manufacturing industry: A review and research agenda," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 102(C).
    8. Dessì, Cinzia & Dettori, Angela & Floris, Michela, 2023. "Exploring different configurations of entrepreneurial orientation in small artisan family firms: A multi-case study," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 14(3).
    9. Ardito, Lorenzo & Raby, Simon & Albino, Vito & Bertoldi, Bernardo, 2021. "The duality of digital and environmental orientations in the context of SMEs: Implications for innovation performance," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 123(C), pages 44-56.
    10. Rayna, Thierry & Striukova, Ludmila, 2021. "Assessing the effect of 3D printing technologies on entrepreneurship: An exploratory study," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 164(C).
    11. Perano, Mirko & Casali, Gian Luca & Liu, Yulin & Abbate, Tindara, 2021. "Professional reviews as service: A mix method approach to assess the value of recommender systems in the entertainment industry," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 169(C).

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Peter W. Daniels & Pengfei Ni, 2014. "Urbanisation and changes in the sectoral structure of economic development: the scale of the manufacturing sector in Chinese cities and the shift towards service industry," Working Papers hal-00943972, HAL.
    2. Omar Bamieh & Francesco Bripi & Matteo Fiorini, 2022. "Services trade and labor market outcomes: Evidence from Italian firms," Review of International Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(3), pages 673-701, August.
    3. Markus Kelle, 2013. "Crossing Industry Borders: German Manufacturers as Services Exporters," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 36(12), pages 1494-1515, December.
    4. Claudio Di Berardino & Ilaria Doganieri & Stefano D'Angelo & Gianni Onesti, 2023. "Intersectoral and intercountry linkages as drivers of employment growth in emerging economies: The case of Visegrád countries," Metroeconomica, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 74(1), pages 163-187, February.
    5. Markus Kelle, 2012. "Crossing Industry Borders: German Manufacturers as Services Exporters," wiiw Working Papers 92, The Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies, wiiw.
    6. Martin Falk & Fei Peng, 2013. "The increasing service intensity of European manufacturing," The Service Industries Journal, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 33(15-16), pages 1686-1706, December.
    7. Yuli Liu & Mingyi Shang & Jianwei Xu & Lei Zhang & Honglian Hua, 2023. "Value Chain and the Integrated Development of Manufacturing and Modernized Services: A Case Study of Shandong Province, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(2), pages 1-25, January.
    8. Matthieu Crozet & Emmanuel Milet, 2014. "The Servitization of French Manufacturing Firms," Working Papers 2014-10, CEPII research center.
    9. Alessandro Sarra & Claudio Berardino & Davide Quaglione, 2019. "Deindustrialization and the technological intensity of manufacturing subsystems in the European Union," Economia Politica: Journal of Analytical and Institutional Economics, Springer;Fondazione Edison, vol. 36(1), pages 205-243, April.
    10. Owusu, Solomon & Szirmai, Adam & Foster-McGregor, Neil, 2020. "The rise of the service sector in the global economy," MERIT Working Papers 2020-056, United Nations University - Maastricht Economic and Social Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (MERIT).
    11. Joseph Francois & Bernard Hoekman, 2010. "Services Trade and Policy," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 48(3), pages 642-692, September.
    12. Sonia Mukherjee, "undated". "The Role of Services in Enhancing Indian Manufacturing Exports: A Firm Level Analysis, 2000-01 to 2011-12," Centre for International Trade and Development, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi Discussion Papers 15-08, Centre for International Trade and Development, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India.
    13. Jan Ženka & Josef Novotný & Ondřej Slach & Igor Ivan, 2017. "Spatial Distribution of Knowledge-Intensive Business Services in a Small Post-Communist Economy," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 8(2), pages 385-406, June.
    14. Magnus Lodefalk, 2014. "The role of services for manufacturing firm exports," Review of World Economics (Weltwirtschaftliches Archiv), Springer;Institut für Weltwirtschaft (Kiel Institute for the World Economy), vol. 150(1), pages 59-82, February.
    15. A team of the Working Group on Econometric Modelling of the European System of Central Banks, 2012. "Competitiveness and external imbalances within the euro area," Occasional Paper Series 139, European Central Bank.
    16. Karingi, Stephen N. & Leyaro, Vincent, 2010. "Surmounting Africa's Trade Capacity Contraints: An Assessment of the Effectiveness of the Aid for Trade," Conference papers 331966, Purdue University, Center for Global Trade Analysis, Global Trade Analysis Project.
    17. Matthieu Crozet & Emmanuel Milet, 2017. "Should everybody be in services? The effect of servitization on manufacturing firm performance," Journal of Economics & Management Strategy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 26(4), pages 820-841, December.
    18. Joseph Francois & Miriam Manchin & Patrick Tomberger, 2015. "Services Linkages and the Value Added Content of Trade," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 38(11), pages 1631-1649, November.
    19. Bernhard Dachs & Sabine Biege & Martin Borowiecki & Gunter Lay & Angela Jäger & Doris Schartinger, 2014. "Servitisation of European manufacturing: evidence from a large scale database," The Service Industries Journal, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 34(1), pages 5-23, January.
    20. Jiang, Xuemei & Zhang, Shaoxue, 2021. "Visualizing the services embodied in global manufacturing exports," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 571(C).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:jknowl:v:9:y:2018:i:1:d:10.1007_s13132-015-0325-9. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.