Services and vulnerability of traditionally industrial territories: the tertiary specialization of Upper Normandy's employment areas.

Summary The strengths and weaknesses of territories in the face of globalization have too often been assessed in terms of their industrial activities, leading to support policies in response to the difficulties of this sector, without, however, curbing the deindustrialization of regions. The role of services as a regional driving force has been generally neglected. This article analyzes the situation of Haute-Normandie, which is industrialized and affected by the crisis, and studies the specialization of its employment areas in services based on a recent typology of services (DATAR, 2010). Strengths appear (low specialization in the most volatile services, weight of intermediation services). Three angles of potential vulnerability are nonetheless of concern: a significant weight of collective services in a national context of geographic redistribution . a low share of cognitive services . specialization in the most volatile services in the most industrialized zone (Bresle Valley).