Abstract
The paper investigates the legitimization of emerging industries in traditional manufacturing areas by focusing on two inner structures: the cognitive and institutional structure. These structures and their interplay inform about the heterogeneity of routes and capabilities to enter legitimization trajectories. We compare two mechatronics clusters, both located in the North-East Italian area, namely in the provinces of Vicenza and Trento. The cases reveal how the evolution and legitimation of emerging industries might surface from bottom-up dynamics related to the technological upgrading of local historical industrial specializations, and from top-down institutional strategies, when the business community remains fragmented.