“THE METAPONTUM AGRO-FOOD DISTRICT OF QUALITY”: A CASE STUDY OF KNOWLEDGE, INNOVATION AND IMPROVEMENT OF HUMAN CAPITAL IN TERRITORIAL RURAL DEVELOPMENT

The aim of this research is to find a concrete construction methodology of theMetapontum Agro - food district by three main phases: awaking of the operators andthe institutional stakeholders (got together in the district’s local web); economicterritorialanalysis; experimentation. This last phase will be the final step of theproject, i.e. creation of the Development Centre - Formative laboratory, where bothnew methodologies of services’ spreading on enterprises and new methodologies offormation-information for operators and new potential entrepreneurs will be tested.This new methodology, based on the Learning Organization, set in the usual“district approach” to the local development, will employ informationtechnology, solutions regarding the economic and the agricultural field, as well astraining of human resources; this will follow the PSR 2007 – 2013 of BasilicataRegion and the rural development program (PIT for the district). Therefore, afterthe analysis to identify the territorial organization of local development we can plan thenew model of district, beginning from integrated supply chain.This will facilitate the construction of a Society of District - Service Center canorganize territorially local development and to optimize the planned investments fromfinancial instruments offered by the PSR, to provide horizontal services (training,promotion, internationalization, etc.) to member companies to increase efficiency ofmanagement effectiveness.In this context, based on the development of knowledge and ability to do business,underpinning the organization of the Center to ensure improved outcomes forcompanies and local business.