Le imprese dell’ICT in Toscana: profili competitivi e modelli innovativi

The impact and consequences of “ICT revolution” on global economies are actually under reconsideration due to the present crisis of the so-called “new economy”. But global crises show their consequences also at a local level. In Tuscany, after some years of “optimism”, in which ICT was thought to be one of the possible drivers of future growth, a careful analysis needs now to be undertaken in order to assess the real solidity of ICT-related activities, in particular with regard to innovative capability. The empirical evidence presented in this paper is based on the results of a survey realised in 2001. Thanks to a cluster analysis performed on a sample of 263 firms, the main typologies of ICT firms in Tuscany are identified. These are classified on the basis of a wide set of variables -size, R&D intensity, main markets, sources of innovation, human capital-, in order to assess their potential for technological innovation. Through this analysis four main typologies are identified, among which “innovative” firms (i. e. those delivering products or services which are close to the “technological frontier”) represent a small minority. Instead ICT firms in Tuscany are specialized in less advanced activities, like customer-relationship services on behalf of large national firms, standard hardware assembling, software development or customisation for local SMEs. It seems thus unlikely that these firms will be one of the main driver for future regional growth, unless effective policies are developed at a regional and local level.