L’embeddedness del terziario innovativo nelle periferie. Il caso della Calabria

The analysis focuses on the development of the innovative tertiary sector in Calabria, presenting some analysis on the role of innovative tertiary sector in peripheral areas, which have deep-rooted weaknesses, and yet numerous resources that are not duly activated. For this reason, it is necessary to understand what are the variables that activate these resources, strengthening the positive mechanisms of emergence, and an opportunity of development. This pushes to consider the non-political as well as the non-economic dimensions (Coleman 2005; Granovetter 1985; Ramella 2013) as central to the unfolding of innovation, especially if considered as a collective social action (Trigilia 2007). The method used is qualitative and quantitative. The first part focuses on the local economic structure using data from Istat, the Ministry of Labor, and Aida updated to 2020. In the second part, there is a multidimensional qualitative study, through the analysis of thirteen semi-structured interviews with innovative entrepreneurs of the context. The results highlight a central role of non-political institutions, the structure of the market and of the networks to which they belong, in reinforcing innovative organizational dynamics, which are also useful for others local productive sectors.