Neo-industrialization models and industrial culture of small towns

Abstract

In the last 30 years the global supply chains and containerization transformed the world of production and stretched it across the globe. With the exodus of Process and Assembly (P&A) segment of industrial production from the developed countries, the “global north” not only lost the production capacity itself, but more importantly, the know-how in making that is a basis of industrial culture. The neoliberal attitudes in industrial production were the main force behind slow but persistent abandonment of the automotive industry in Detroit, or closing down of the coal and iron industry in the Ruhr region in Germany. Contemporary urban renewal strategies of industrial areas rely on injection of tourism based on design, popular art, cultural and leisure activities, like the Emscher Landschaftspark in Ruhr region, Germany. However, tourism-based redevelopment is economically questionable in small industrial towns. For such areas we need to envision alternative agencies that industrial past and industrial production can offer. One of the most underrated aspects of industrial production is the know-how imbedded in the P&A segment of industrial process. We argue for the industrial production know-how as a relevant part of the new innovation economy of small towns and of the local culture. This paper will trace the capacity of industrial production for culture-making by referring to production-innovation models described in regional geography. Firstly the paper identifies the P&A know-how worth reshoring. Secondly, it describes two models of neo-industrialization in order to thirdly identify a new hybrid type of a regional model and its culture.

Fiscal stimulus activity of subjects of the regional economy in the context of the new industrialization

“…Specificity of industrialization in small cities the level is presented in the Tomaz Pipan [13]. Exploring the characteristics of industrialization as an important phenomenon in the economy of the territories on the example of small towns, the author gives a description of the two basic models: neo-industrialization through knowledge economy and neo-industrialization through flexible-specialization and formulates a response to the question: «How to retain industrial production in small towns?".…”

Small industrial towns in Moravia: a comparison of the production and post-productive eras

“…However, it turns out that the trend for developed countries to get rid of an industry can be risky, and therefore, there is talk of re-industrialization (Peneder and Streicher 2018). This is largely because small towns will never be able to compete with large cities in tertiary functions (Pipan 2018).…”

A Research Agenda for Small and Medium-Sized Towns

“…Industrial culture can foster neoindustrial development, for example by upgrading traditional industrial skills, innovation cultures or artisanal production. This is a viable model, especially for smaller towns where flexible, family-run businesses can benefit from being embedded in the local community, local clusters and networks (Pipan, 2018). Industrial culture can also create links between traditional industrial sectors and the creative industries (Harfst et al, 2018).…”