Osservatorio Nazionale sulle reti d’impresa 2025

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open access
    edited by
  • Anna Cabigiosu - Venice School of Management, Università Ca’ Foscari Venezia, Italia - email orcid profile

Abstract
This volume provides an integrated empirical and analytical assessment of business networks established through network contracts in Italy, drawing on data from the 2025 edition of the National Observatory of Network Contracts. Combining administrative data with an original survey of 178 networks, the book examines the diffusion, structural characteristics, governance mechanisms, leadership practices, performance outcomes, and policy-relevant dimensions of inter-firm collaboration.
The contributions show that network contracts have reached a phase of institutional maturity, shifting attention from their quantitative diffusion to the quality and effectiveness of collaboration. Empirical evidence highlights significant heterogeneity across networks in terms of objectives, sectoral specialization, governance configurations, and leadership orientations. While networks generally display satisfactory levels of cohesion and perceived benefits for participating firms, innovation outcomes – especially radical innovation – remain uneven and contingent on specific organizational conditions.
A central contribution of the volume lies in its analysis of governance and leadership. Networks increasingly adopt hybrid coordination arrangements combining formal mechanisms and relational practices, while leadership emerges as a dynamic and contingent process rather than a purely formal role. Goal-oriented and efficient leadership supports innovation and network attractiveness, whereas cohesion enhances stability but may limit openness and renewal. These findings frame networks as adaptive organizational systems rather than static contractual arrangements.
The volume also addresses incentives, skills, and training, revealing a persistent gap between the strategic importance attributed to competencies and the limited use of structured training and managerial tools. This gap constrains the long-term sustainability of networks and calls for policy interventions that move beyond financial incentives toward organizational and capability-building support.
Overall, the book contributes to the literature on inter-organizational networks by conceptualizing network contracts as intermediate organizational forms and offers evidence-based insights for policy makers and practitioners aiming to strengthen collaborative capacity and competitiveness within the Italian productive system.

Keywords Digital innovation • Attractiveness • Competitiveness • Complementarity • Financial information • Network contracts • Stability • Industries • Objectives • Coordination mechanisms • Training • Valuation • Funding • Accounting culture • Funds • Sustainability • Business networks • Agricultural enterprises network • Innovation • Inter-organizational networks • Network performance • Sectors • Network leadership • Governance • Public calls for proposals • Lead firm • Performance • Turnover • Skills • Aggregations • Market overlap • Inter-organizational leadership • Incentive measures • Organisation • Adaptive capacity

Permalink http://doi.org/10.30687/979-12-5742-026-0 | e-ISBN 979-12-5742-026-0 | Published April 20, 2026 | Language it

Copyright © 2026 Anna Cabigiosu. This is an open-access work distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction is permitted, provided that the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. The license allows for commercial use. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.