KIBS Regional specialisation patters: a comparison between three European regions

Due to the renewed interest showed by researchers in regional specialization and KIBS issues, the main aim of this paper is to provide a detailed analysis of and comparison between the specialization patterns followed by KIBS firms located in three peculiar European regions (Basque Country, Piemonte, and Friuli Venezia Giulia). In order to achieve this aim, both absolute and relative specialization indices have been computed. Results mainly show that it is not possible to identify a single “specialization patter” between regions and that it varies also depending on the data used. The paper provides both theoretical and practical implications related to regional specialization patterns and KIBS firms.