Högskolan i Skövde

This report discusses industrial districts, with focus on co-operation between firms. Industrial districts mainly consist of SME: s that are spatially concentrated and sectorally specialised. These firms often co-operate, although they are competitors. The economic relations are intertwined with social relations, and co-operation is partly the key success factor to competitive advantage. In this report we analyse co-operation in the industrial furniture districts in Italy and Denmark and compare them with the furniture district in Tibro, Sweden. In Denmark and Italy there is a high degree of co-operation, while the firms in Tibro do not co-operate to any great extent. This study therefore concludes in some recommendations in how to promote co-operation in Tibro.