• economies of scale
• evolutionary theory
• firm size
• industry dynamics
• industry structure
• innovation
• labour productivity

This thesis studies firms’ characteristics and industrial structures to provide further
empirical evidence on the hypothesis of the emergence of neo-dualistic tendencies
in several Italian industries (Dosi et al., 2012, 2019). We exploit the Orbis dataset
(BvD) to study the vast heterogeneity of firm characteristics and industrial dynamics
in 8 years of cross-sections. Firstly, we review the development of industrial economics
theory from the earliest scholars to the most recent evolutionary theories, emphasising
the insights provided by the old ’structuralist’ interpretation of industrial dynamics
based on economies of scale. In the empirical analysis, we replicate some
well-known stylised facts about the distributions of labour productivity, size and
patenting propensity of firms. Then, we explore the role of size-related economies of
scale as determinants of productive efficiency and innovation. Are larger firms more
productive? Do they exhibit higher productivity growth rates? And are they more
willing to innovate?
When the analysis is at the sectoral level, significant heterogeneity in the degree
of scale advantages between sectors emerges. We try to capture such differences
by studying the influence of technological regimes and market concentration on the
comparative advantages of large firms for innovation. Furthermore, we explore the
determinants of industrial structures. We provide evidence that is in tune with an
evolutionary interpretation of the dynamics of industrial structures and their cross-sectional
variety. Industrial concentration is interpreted as the joint outcome of
industry-specific technological opportunities and economies of scale, with the former
that drives differential competitive advantages, while the latter much less.