In this paper we study the changes of the Italian engineering small business, from 2008 to 2012, for three provinces of Emilia Romagna. Precisely, we use the database provided by CNA (Confederazione Nazionale dell’Artigianato e della Piccola e Media Impresa) to study the dynamics of investments, productivity, employment and competition for three provinces, namely Bologna, Ferrara and Modena. From our aggregate analysis emerges the deterioration of this core sector of Italian industry.
Keywords: Deindustrialization, Engineering Industry, Investment, Productivity
Jel Code: L23, O30, O33 R1.