Regional integration and business localizations: A long run approach to the cork industry in the Iberian Peninsula

Konferenzbeitrag

The cork sector is a relevant case study given the economic importance of this industry for some regions (value added, employment and rural development). This industry is also important because of its contribution to environmental sustainability as it uses a natural renewable raw material. Portugal and Spain are the most important producers of cork and exporters of manufactured cork products (stoppers and agglomerates). The main purpose of this paper is to study the economic integration and the historical changes of cork business localization in the Iberian Peninsula. We start by studying the historical roots, motivations and economic consequences of the delocalization of Catalonian firms to Portugal during the first quarter of the 20th century. Then a comparison is made with the recent process of delocalization of an anchor firm of Aveiro industrial district (Corticeira Amorim) to Spain. The theoretical framework of this study is the industry and cluster life cycles as well as the recent insights from the evolutionary economic geography.

Object Details

• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Series: 53rd Congress of the European Regional Science Association: "Regional Integration: Europe, the Mediterranean and the World Economy", 27-31 August 2013, Palermo, Italy

Classification and Topics

• Classification: Wirtschaft ; Regional Economic Activity: Growth, Development, Environmental Issues, and Changes ; Size and Spatial Distributions of Regional Economic Activity ; Forest Products
• Subject: cork industry ; business location ; clusters ; Iberian Peninsula

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Geistige Schöpfung
• (who): Branco, Amélia ; Lopes, João ; Parejo, Francisco ; Preciado, José
• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (who): European Regional Science Association (ERSA)
• (where): Louvain-la-Neuve
• (when): 2013

Further information

• Handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/123938
• Last update: 10.03.2025, 11:43 AM CET