Who is making your shoes? the localization of footwear production networks in Timiș County, Romania

Abstract

ORCiD 0000-0001-5378-4206

The thesis deals with the localization of footwear production networks in the Western Romanian region of Timiș. The goal is to improve our knowledge about the spatial localization of footwear production networks by accounting for the differences among Timiș County firms in terms of their participation to the value chain and network relations. To this end, three bodies of theory are mobilized: the literature on clusters, the body of work on Global Value Chains and Social Network Analysis. Results suggest that even among co-located firms heterogeneity is high, and does matter, both in terms of value chain participation and with regard to local and extended network linkages. Furthermore, even though Timiș County is witnessing increasing 'de-delocalization' towards cheaper productive locations, findings show that endogenous capabilities are settling down, particularly for the production of footwear with short time-to-market such as women’s shoes.