CAVIRC.net - The research

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The role and the aims of the <place w:st="on"><placetype w:st="on">Province</placetype> of <placename w:st="on">Vicenza</placename></place> in this research: q       As is known, the strength of <city w:st="on"><place w:st="on">Vicenza</place></city>’s economy has for a long time been based on international exchange. q       Recently, a variety of objective problems have been influencing the development projects of many firms. q       These problems are the deterioration of the environment and pollution, the availability of space for development, the availability of human resources, production costs no longer competitive in the new globalized world etc. q       The topic of relocation of production is an aspect of this context.q       It is now known that relocation processes can be motivated by two different groups of considerations: a)      the processes can be caused by cost factors. In this case relocation can be described as a shifting of a link in the value chain which is no longer convenient. Relocations oriented towards minimizing costs occur over medium and short distances and the industries involved look for places where they can find traditional sources which are no longer available;b)      in other cases, relocation can be considered as an enrichment of the complexity of the organization of a firm. Here, relocation is determined by considerations which go above and beyond savings on costs. Examples of this would be proximity to new end markets, the improvement of relations with suppliers and vendors and the creation of a new industrial district network. q       It should be noted that in the first type of relocation there is the risk that a project will become unprofitable in the short term due to increasing disadvantages (for example, labour costs in Romania are now higher than they were a few years ago), while in the second type of relocation there is an effort to reposition our production system at a higher level.  q       The way in which these phenomena occur is currently being studied and research is also investigating the degree and forms of involvement of public institutions and sector organisations. q       During the course of our work we shall undoubtedly make reference to policies established by the Vicenza Industrialists’ Association involving <country-region w:st="on">Slovakia</country-region> and <country-region w:st="on">Romania</country-region> and the involvement of the Vicenza Artisans’ Association, especially in the <place w:st="on"><placetype w:st="on">Republic</placetype> of <placename w:st="on">Croatia</placename></place>.q       These early experiences have also highlighted numerous difficulties which firms have encountered of a juridical, economic and cultural nature. Action taken by public institutions however can help to solve some of these issues. q       In particular, as far as action taken by Italy is concerned, the aim is that of supporting ‘healthy forms of internationalization’ and contrasting merely speculative projects developed according to a ‘fly-by-night’ logic of ‘let’s make hay while the sun shines’ and of which there are many past and also present examples.q       In this scenario, the <place w:st="on"><placetype w:st="on">Province</placetype> of <placename w:st="on">Vicenza</placename></place> wishes to take action in support of firms. Therefore it has established a number of high-priority intervention projects dictated by the needs I have already mentioned and also by the fact that within the province there are many immigrants from eastern European countries and especially from ex <country-region w:st="on"><place w:st="on">Yugoslavia</place></country-region>.q       Amongst other forms of intervention, and together with Chamber of Commerce of Vicenza, the Provincial Authorities founded our own office, which, over the last two years, has become a non-profit organisation whose mission is in line with the aims of the IN.DE Project. </PRE>