Coronavirus versus the textile industry: cluster lessons for future challenges

Abstract

Since the pandemic situation was officially declared, part of society was immersed in searching desperately for solutions to combat it. Textile firms addressed with uneven effectiveness the challenge of creating products that helped medical and civil professionals (e.g., personal protection equipment, masks, sanitary material, etc.). To do this, they had to face supply problems, lockdown, and make a significant innovative effort. This work aims to analyze the strategic response of the companies belonging to the Valencian Textile Cluster (VTC) (Spain) to the coronavirus crisis and the territorial factors that influenced it. We carried out a content analysis of the news in the main newspapers during February–July (2020). Our analysis revealed that, on average, VTC firms responded to the challenge more quickly and effectively than other Spanish textile firms. The most influential location-specific factors were the clustering developed, institutional support, and a deep-rooted tradition in producing technical-home textiles, although we also detected that social media collaborated in the process of transferring value information. The influence of all these factors was more intense in the epicenter of the cluster (Ontinyent). Consequently, our results highlight the cluster effect and offer lessons that can help manage unexpected future events more effectively.