Where has all the knowledge gone? migrations from industrial to knowledge economy in textile firms

Adopting a comparative international case study approach, we explore the relationship between crafts and knowledge management, focusing specifically on the transformation of knowledge in firms based in declining clusters. By analysing long-standing textile firms based in Veneto and Dundee, we investigate the question “where has all the (craft) knowledge gone” and how knowledge management practices have evolved within firms and in the overall cluster. The thematic analysis of our qualitative data shows a migration of knowledge from the industrial to the contemporary knowledge economy, identifying diverse trajectories, respectively oriented to the past and to the future. The paper proposes a framework of knowledge transformation approaches based on key differences between the clusters analysed. Building on this, we also provide practical suggestions for firms still operating in the sector and broader policy implications.