Strategic coupling evolution and destination upgrading

This paper adopts the concepts of strategic coupling and upgrading—key notions in global production network theories—under an integrated evolutionary and relational economic geography approach. It aims to understand the role of trans-local networks in increasing the innovativeness of local firms and, as a consequence, in shaping the evolutionary path of a destination. Empirical evidence derives from interviews with key stakeholders, complemented with secondary data. In doing so, the paper examines the influence of alliances between local stakeholders and global intermediaries operating in the Russian market in a Catalan destination from 1994 to 2013. The nature and dynamics of the strategic coupling patterns identified—cooperative, mediated, self-interested, and captive—as well as their upgrading outcomes are discussed.