Il decentramento produttivo in Romania in tre distretti del Nord-Est

In manufacturing industry in Italy outsourcing abroad is becoming increasingly important and Veneto firms are on the forefront. This study presents the results of a direct survey conducted on 24 firms, both in Veneto and in Romania. The article examines the participation of Veneto firms in the global value chains and discusses their different organization. Shoe firms, very labour intensive, use mainly subcontracting aiming at reducing the cost of labour. In the furniture sector the main aim is the control the wood supply, and this requires direct investments abroad. In the air-conditioning and refrigerating sector, firms are more interested in the control of new markets and in impeding the development of local competition, and this is obtained through local producing (and assembling) and some limited subcontracting.