Value Chain Mapping and Heterogeneity of Firms in Clusters: A Survey of the Textile and Clothing Firms of Bergamo

The debate on how to reconcile the global and local perspectives demands informative empirical evidence. By leveraging the global value chain framework, this article develops an original mapping methodology to be applied at the cluster level, in order to capture both the within-district heterogeneity and the global propensity of the cluster. The case of the textile and clothing district in Bergamo highlights the potential of the methodology, which relies on quantitative data. The results provide some interesting insights on how companies in the district under analysis strive to find distinctive traits that could enhance their competitiveness.