Issue |
E.J.E.S.S.
Volume 15, Number 1, 2001
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Page(s) | 57 - 75 | |
DOI | https://doi.org/10.1051/ejess:2001108 |
European Journal of Economic and Social Systems 15 N°1 (2001) 57-75
The firm/territory relationships in the globalisation: towards a new rationale
Jean-Benoit ZimmermannCNRS, GREQAM - EHESS, 2, rue de la Charité, 13002 Marseille, France. E-mail: jbenoit@ehess.cnrs-mrs.fr
Abstract
The aim of this paper is the presentation of an approach of firms-territories relationships in terms of
firms' nomadism and territorial anchorage of technological and industrial activities. Such an approach is
founded on the necessity to overcome the "volatile" firm's level of analysis, in which firm's mobility is
investigated from the sole point of view of the leaven location. On the contrary, it should be relevant to
focus on the firm's dynamics through its connections with the whole set of territories and to conceive the
firm-territory relation as a result of the dialectic confrontation of the respectively concerned firm and
territory both dynamics, both trajectories. Hence we are led to characterise the localised industrial unit
as placed at the crossroad of a triple link: with a firm (or a group), with an industry and with a
territory. Such a threefold coupling relies on proximity's effects, alternately from organisational and
geographical nature, whose conjunction generates territorial anchoring and leads to the notion of
productive encounter, in the sense of a capacity to formulate and give solutions to productive issues,
within the context of firm-territory relationship. In terms of formal models, research works are at the
very first step. Nevertheless, an approach in terms of "small worlds" seems to present very fruitful
perspectives. We develop the foundations of such an approach and expose how it can provide a good
framework to explain territorial anchorage and, more widely, the strength of clusters. A concrete
illustration is extensively developed about SGS-Thomson Microelectronics group with regard to its
productive site in Rousset, in the French Bouches-du-Rhone district.
Key words: Proximity, territory, territorial anchorage, nomadism, clusters.
© EDP Sciences 2001