Internationalisation in the household appliances sector in Fabriano (Italy): a case study

This paper analyses the household appliances district of Jesi-Fabriano. It shows how the internationalisation strategies of many enterprises are gradually modifying the organizational structure of the local production system. The diverse goals that have led the internationalisation processes and the strategies chosen by enterprises to effectively approach far away markets are at the core of the paper that includes a broad review of the fragmentation actions of the local enterprises. Special attention is paid to the effects of the internationalisation process on the relationships among actors along the whole filière and on the models of internal enterprise management. After an analysis of the history of the district and its current transformations, the main conclusions focus on possible scenarios regarding external and endogenous factors, on the main opportunities that enterprises should seize in order to successfully complete the ongoing internationalisation process and on the important role of local and national institutions in supporting the evolution of the model of local economic development.