Natasya Winckel (p)

Víctor del-Corte-Lora

Through the conceptualization of territorial revitalization and its specification to industrial regions, we study the interaction between local industrial trajectories and territorial revitalization.
Relying on a definition of a territory as a complex system, the adaptive cycle approach by, and interdisciplinary discussions, we define revitalization as a set of actions and projects bringing systemic and radical changes in the territorial system. We discriminate revitalization from other dynamics according to five principles: 1) conscientization process; 2) planning; 3) localized innovation; 4) intentionality of action; 5) radical change. Analyzing revitalization dynamics are particularly relevant when simple adjustment and incremental changes are not enough to overcome a situation of turmoil. We then specify this framework for industrial regions by relying on different schools of thought from regional sciences: research on Old Industrial Areas, evolutionary economic geography and research on territorial development. The purpose of this article is to take a new perspective on what constitutes the vitality of a territory beyond mere economic development, and to discuss the stakes of this new conceptual framework.
Our case study focuses on two industrial territories located in Nord Franche-Comté (North-East of France): Belfort, centered on the energy sector and dominated by two international industrial, Alstom and General Electric, and Montbéliard, in a mono-industry situation strongly dependent on the car company Stellantis (previously Peugeot). Both local territories are subjected to an intense rhythm of restructuring from its leading companies and sectors, in particular between 2000 and 2019.
Through this field study, we show that industrial path renewal is an essential condition but not sufficient for territorial revitalization. Indeed, revitalization prerequisites would be the radical challenging of classic diagnosis and modes of action. It would also entail specific efforts to reembed industrial dynamics in the territorial system and make the new industrial path coherent with the one emerging from the territorial scale, especially through careful identity and resources renewal. This implies the involvement of a larger set of actors, an issue that goes largely beyond the field of economic dynamics.

Víctor del-Corte-Lora (p), Teresa Vallet-Bellmunt, Teresa Martínez-Fernández

Nastasya Winckel

Current regulations, social pressure and business ethics are producing a change of trend in companies, which have realised the need to implement measures that seek an environmentally sustainable change in the company. We are currently living in a time in which many changes are taking place in the environment. On the one hand, concern for the environment leads companies to make decisions that improve the sustainability of their actions. On the other hand, a turbulent economic environment makes companies look for mechanisms to anticipate, adapt, respond and recover from changes, encouraging collaboration with surrounding companies. Thus, we find companies concerned about sustainability and seeking alliances through the development of formal and informal networks, which leads to the exchange of valuable resources, such as information and knowledge, that are characteristic of Social Capital, and confronting the changes demanded by sustainability without diminishing their economic results. From the academic point of view, studies on sustainability orientation, resilience and social capital are increasing considerably and many of them are specifically focused on relating these variables to both economic and environmental results. One of the challenges facing companies today is how to maintain or increase economic performance while being more sustainable in the face of major changes in the environment. This research relates sustainability orientation, resilience and social capital to economic and environmental performance within the ceramic cluster of Castellón, Spain. The results show that sustainability orientation is linked to ecological performance, while social capital and resilience are linked to economic performance. Thus, these results would show us that companies should focus on what kind of results they want to obtain in order to direct their efforts at a strategic level, focusing on resilience and social capital if they want to obtain better economic results and on sustainability orientation if they want to improve their environmental results. Results of this research may contribute to the academic literature regarding environmental and sustainability issues as well as the relations with firms involved in these processes.