Towards a competitive city-region

The economic potency of the Venice city-region derives from its unique combination of unusually strong local communities and an outward-looking, export-oriented economic system. The industrial district model has been highly adaptive and this chapter recommends that policy makers confront three cardinal challenges by capitalising on the city-region’s entrepreneurism, flexibility and cosmopolitanism. First, competitiveness could be bolstered by a regional innovation system, which could improve the relative weakness of science-based technological innovation in the tradable manufacturing sector. A specific approach towards SMEs is required, given their predominance in the Venice city-region’s economy. Acquiring business development tools and strengthening trade associations through business development services would better position SMEs to connect with university departments, private companies, suppliers and their clients. Second, Venice city-region needs to introduce new skills into its labour market and achieve improved labour market integration for designated groups, such as women and older workers, i.e., those in the 55-64 age bracket. Policies to upgrade and adapt the skills of the labour force are critically assessed along with their ability to create inclusive labour markets, especially for immigrants, women and the oldest segment of the working population. Third, more initiatives would enhance connectivity between Padua, Treviso and Venice to ensure the dynamism of the city-region as an organic and synergistic whole. Connecting Venice to the outside by improving rail-port connections and curbing sprawl from the inside through promoting denser urban development merit prioritisation in a metropolitan economic strategy.