Organizations, networks and economic development in medium-sized cities: the case of Bahia Blanca, Argentina

Abstract

In the last decades medium-sized cities have recovered their importance in urban systems, both in the field of scientific literature and in territorial planning and development strategies at the international level. As in the 1960’s, these towns are gaining prominence as components of the regional development policies, being recognized as key actors in the stimulation of industrial possibilities for peripheral territories. Among the instruments aimed at promoting growth, 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 the medium-sized cities that are more successful in the global economy, the existence of institutional thickness has been crucial to ensure territorial competitiveness. This paper analyzes how the institutional networks operate in a medium-sized town called Bahía Blanca in Argentina, trying to understand the way in which these organizations can improve the competitive conditions and development possibilities of this territory.