Jesús M Valdaliso, Patricia Suárez, Matías Mayor,Edurne Magro
Abstract
This paper examines why some old industrial regions (OIRs) show strong lock-ins while others experience weaker ones. To do so, it compares the resilience of two OIRs in northern Spain — Asturias and the Basque Country — to major shocks and structural changes over the last fifty years, tracing their divergent development paths and advancing a tentative explanation for these differences. It employs a mixed-methods approach, combining dynamic shift-share analysis to evaluate regional resilience and the role of economic structure with qualitative analysis of how agency shapes regional trajectories, in addition to taking a historical perspective. The extreme cases of Asturias and the Basque Country offer contrasting examples of lock-in and path breaking (and renewal) in regional development. Asturias illustrates the strength of reproductive agency (place maintenance), while the Basque Country exhibits greater change agency (place leadership), engaging a broader range of actors in regional transformation. Ultimately, the paper advocates a holistic approach to regional development that combines both quantitative and qualitative analysis.
These insights allow us to refine existing ID typologies by incorporating the role of INMLs. We argue that the relationship between IDs and INMLs is potentially symbiotic: while IDs can nurture the emergence of INMLs, these firms, in turn, can significantly contribute to the evolution and competitiveness of the districts. Based on this perspective, we offer a set of policy recommendations.
- Keywords: agency, lock-in, resilience, path dependence, old industrial regions
