Exploring State-anchored District: The Case of Iron and Steel Industry in Ciudad Guayana, VenezuelaExploring State-anchored District: The Case of Iron and Steel Industry in Ciudad Guayana, Venezuela

Industrial districts and their developmental features have been of the interest of many scholars. Most of the literature refers to the traditional Marshallian or Italianate district where inter-firm negotiation with co-operation is assessed within a production system characterized by a geographical and sectorial concentration of private- small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Such production systems are less likely to observe in developing countries where can play an important role in promoting and sustaining industrial districts. This academic endeavour claims that ownership structure matters for industrial district analysis. The findings suggest that under state ownership, the state tends to induce initial competitive advantages whereas under private ownership tends to emerge voluntary co-operation.