La collaborazione nel settore dell’artigianato artistico in Campania: il caso dell’oreficeria

This paper analyzes the main trends of cooperation among firms operating in the jewelry industry of the Campania region of Italy. The two main regional consortia are analyzed: Tarì and Antico Borgo Orefici, Interviews with the primary players have investigated the reasons for companies to join the two consortia. Firms join Tarì for security purposes and cost savings, while firms in the Antico Borgo Orefici judge the cost to join Tarì too high. Using data from a survey conducted on firms participating in an annual fair organized by Tarì in 2015, we have performed an econometric analysis. The results indicate a low propensity towards cooperation, mostly limited to vertical collaborations with suppliers and customers. Other types of cooperation, such as horizontal or institutional, are rarely used. However, firms that cooperate show better economic performance. The major advantage associated to partnerships is the exploitation of new production processes and new machinery.