Learning, unlearning and forgetting processes in industrial districts
提出一个概念框架，分析产业区中学习、遗忘和不学习三种认知过程如何受内外动态影响，并重构产业区认知结构，通过三个案例说明遗忘可能促进制造业复苏中的新学习机会。
This paper proposes a conceptual framework on knowledge accumulation and depletion in industrial districts (IDs). The framework introduces three types of endogenous cognitive processes, namely learning, forgetting and unlearning, affected by internal and external dynamics. Such processes determine the reconfiguration of the ID cognitive structure based on the expansion and contraction of local knowledge. We apply the framework to three empirical cases: The Stoke-on-Trent ceramic ID, the Prato textile ID and the Macerata-Fermo footwear IDs. The empirical analysis describes the reconfiguration of the ID cognitive structure in relation to different cross-boundary relations, such as the introduction of a new policy, technological change and internationalisation. The results inform us that the contraction of some productive specialisations through forgetting may not be just the prelude of decline, but rather a condition fostering the exploration of new learning opportunities within paths of manufacturing recovery