Gasping for breath

Abstract

The textile industry in the Veneto region of Italy is described. Veneto includes 34 industrial districts with various specialisations: engineering, furnishing, leather and footwear, gold and musical instruments and textile and clothing, which latter accounts for 15 of the districts. The most important of these are based at Vicenza. The textile companies based here are active in both textiles and clothing and employ between 24 and 30 thousand people. The latest figures indicate stability in the clothing sector but a drop in productivity in the textile sector. The influx of cheap textile products from low-cost countries has presented a challenge to the companies in Vicenza, but at the same time is inspiring them to rethink and restructure in order to compete.