Industrial districts and women-led SMEs: a literature analysis

The aim of this work is to investigate how the academic literature has addressed the relationship between industrial districts and female entrepreneurship. This relationship is particularly relevant since industrial districts are widely recognized as dynamic environments that foster innovation and business growth, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The review seeks to identify the main areas of analysis that have emerged in recent years and to explore future research directions related to the role of territorial ecosystems in supporting women-led SMEs. This study adopts a structured literature review (SLR) methodology to systematically analyze the scientific contributions published between 2008 and 2025. The review was conducted using the SCOPUS database. Each contribution was manually classified according to three dimensions: research focus, methodology used, and geographical area of the authors. This analytical framework allowed for the identification of recurring patterns and theoretical gaps. The findings reveal that most studies focus on the structural and cultural barriers that female entrepreneurs face, even within cooperative environments such as industrial districts. These include limited access to credit, gender stereotypes, family responsibilities and weak support networks. A smaller body of literature highlights the strategic role of women’s human capital, including leadership, training, and innovation capacity, in enhancing the competitiveness of district-based SMEs. Only a few studies explicitly explore how industrial districts can act as enabling ecosystems for female entrepreneurship. From a methodological standpoint, the literature is dominated by quantitative research, while qualitative studies remain limited but offer valuable insights into personal experiences and informal networks. In terms of geographical distribution, most contributions come from Asia and Southern Europe, reflecting both emerging interest in inclusive entrepreneurship and the historical importance of district models in countries such as Italy and Spain. This study contributes to the literature by providing a comprehensive and up-to-date mapping of the intersection between industrial districts and female entrepreneurship. It highlights the need for more inclusive district governance and calls for future research using qualitative and mixed-method approaches to better understand the lived experiences of women entrepreneurs and the real impact of local production systems.