The Marshallian Industrial District, an organizational and institutional answer to uncertainty

The object of this paper is to clarify the Marshallian ideas of agents, markets and evolution that make Up his concept of the industrial district. The industrial district is interpreted as an organizational and institutional answer to uncertainty. Its longevity depends on the strategies of the local economic actors, the fruition of external economies and its adaptation to a particular trade and technological environment. These propositions are illustrated with regard to contemporary industrial history.