Institutional networks and economic development in small cities: the case of Pigí¼é (Argentina)

Abstract

During reent decades, small cities have recovered their importance in the context of urban systems, both in the field of scientific literature and in the field of development strategies at a global scale. As in the 1960s, such towns are acquiring preponderance as main components of regional development policies, being recognized as key actors in the stimulation of industrial possibilities for peripheral territories. Among the instruments aiͬmed at promoting the growth of such cities, the literature emphasizes the creation of institutional networks, as an element capable of encouraging innovation and technological change. In this sense, it is argued that in small and medium cities that are more successfully inserted into the global economy, the existence of institutional density has been crucial to ensure territorial competitiveness.
This paper analyzes how institutional networks operate in a small town called Pigí¼é in Argentina, in an effort to understand the way in which these organizations can improve the competitive conditions and development opportunities for this territory.