Origins and evolution of the industrial district of ornamental stones in Almería

Abstract

Marble extraction has been carried out constantly in Almería since the first centuries of our era till nowadays. In the 1980s a radical change regarding its extraction, processing and marketing took place. It was then when the marble industrial district emerged and was characterised with a great dynamism. This chapter analyzes the generation process of the industrial district as well as its evolutionary dynamics. Previous features of a mining agglomeration are described. It is shown how the setting up of the industrial district took place and the latest version of its configuration is depicted with the presence of a local multinational (Cosentino). This case study confirms how mining activities can evolve into the dynamics of an industrial district; it also shows the components which give the industrial district a great resilience.