The Evolution of Technological Space and Firms’ Workforce Composition in a Manufacturing Region

The development of the technological space of a manufacturing region relates to its human capital. However, the dynamic relation between local firms’ workforce composition and their adoption of Industry 4.0 enabling technologies over time is still under investigated. The paper contributes to filling this gap analysing the relation over 10 years between technology adoption and the occupational choices of 1800 firms from one of the most industrialized regions of Italy: the Veneto Region. The results from descriptive as well as inferential analysis show that such relational dynamics are a multifaceted phenomenon, presenting a series of counterintuitive features.