manufacturing for textiles is shown by a recent initiative under which more than $150 million will be spent on a new institute to develop revolutionary fibres and textiles. Table 1. Traditional manufacturing sectors in North Brabant: traditional characteristics matrix Main traditional sector Leather Textiles Automotive Food characteristics* Long established 18th 18th 19th 19th century century century century Main source of employment Yes, till Yes, till Important Important Important 1960s 1960s source source source Mature and declining Yes, Yes, decline Mature, but Yes, but Yes, decline declining since 1909 stable rather from since 1920 stable 1960 Labour intensive Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Main source of wealth Yes, in the Yes, in the Not main, Not main, Yes creation past past but but important important Innovation capacity** Low Low Average High Average Capacity to diversify into Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes new, high-growth activities * For some of characteristics there are only qualitative indications. ** Indication for the industry average in the EU, as data for North-Brabant are not available. Table 2. Employment in traditional industries in North-Brabant 1909 1930 1990 2005 In 000s Leather 12.9 16.2 20.9 5.6 1.3 Textiles 19.4 26.5 45.6 11.5 4.8 Mechanical/metallurgy 5.4 8.3 20.5 26.8 23.8 Automotive 2.7 3.8 7.4 15.1 8.2 Food 18.4 27.7 35.3 33.3 26.9 Manufacturing 89.4 153.2 270.1 290.5 253.0 % share of manufacturing employment Leather 14.4 10.6 7.7 1.9 0.5 Textiles 21.7 17.3 16.9 4.0 1.9 Mechanical/metallurgy 6.0 5.4 7.6 9.2 9.4 Automotive 3.0 2.5 2.7 5.2 3.2 Food 20.5 18.1 13.1 11.5 10.6
manufacturing for textiles is shown by a recent initiative under which more than $150 million will be spent on a new institute to develop revolutionary fibres and textiles. Table 1. Traditional manufacturing sectors in North Brabant: traditional characteristics matrix Main traditional sector characteristics* Leather Textiles Automotive Food Long established 18th century 18th century 19th century 19th century Main source of employment Yes, till 1960s Yes, till 1960s Important source Important source Important source Mature and declining Yes, declining since 1920 Yes, decline since 1909 Mature, but stable Yes, but rather stable Yes, decline from Labour intensive Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Main source of wealth creation Yes, in the past Yes, in the past Not main, but important Not main, but important Yes Innovation capacity** Low Low Average High Average Capacity to diversify into new, high-growth activities Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes * For some of characteristics there are only qualitative indications. ** Indication for the industry average in the EU, as data for North-Brabant are not available. Table 2. Employment in traditional industries in North-Brabant 1909 1930 1960 1990 2005 In 000s Leather 12.9 16.2 20.9 5.6 1.3 Textiles 19.4 26.5 45.6 11.5 4.8 Mechanical/metallurgy 5.4 8.3 20.5 26.8 23.8 Automotive 2.7 3.8 7.4 15.1 8.2 Food 18.4 27.7 35.3 33.3 26.9 Manufacturing 89.4 153.2 270.1 290.5 253.0 % share of manufacturing employment Leather 14.4 10.6 7.7 1.9 0.5 Textiles 21.7 17.3 16.9 4.0 1.9 Mechanical/metallurgy 6.0 5.4 7.6 9.2 9.4 Automotive 3.0 2.5 2.7 5.2 3.2 Food 20.5 18.1 13.1 11.5 10.6