Transcript Document 7197414

Entrepreneurship, knowledge
and the regional dimension:
Where do we stand on theory and empirical
evidence?
Roundtable at the DIME-LIEE/NTUA 2006 Conference in Athens
“Entrepreneurship, Knowledge, Learning and the Evolution of Industrial/Territorial Clusters
and Regions”
Bent Dalum
DRUID-IKE Group and CTIF/SEIT
Department of Business Studies
Aalborg University
(1) ‘Cleaning’ of concepts
•
In my view it would be a major step forward, if somebody could initiate a
standardization process concerning the concept of clusters.
• Confusion is more or less universal.
• Dahmén’s concept of development blocks somehow well defined.
• Perroux’s filière somehow well defined.
• Marshall’s industrial districts well defined.
2
Porter’s cluster definition
“Clusters are geographic concentrations of
interconnected companies, specialised suppliers, service
providers, firms in related industries, and associated
organisations (such as universities, standard agencies,
trade associations) in a particular field linked by
commonalities and complementarities. There is
competition as well as cooperation.”
In principle OK, but too elastic.
3
Cluster definition – Giuliani and Marshall
• Cluster: “…a geographical agglomeration of firms
operating in the same industry” (Guiliani, RP 2005, p.
272).
• Industrial district …a concentration of “large numbers
of small businesses of a similar kind in the same locality”
(Marshall, 1920).
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Martin and Sunley’s critique (2003) of Porter’s
cluster definition
• “First, a concept so elastic as the cluster can not provide
a universal and deterministic model on how
agglomeration is related to regional and local economic
growth” (p. 28).
• “Second,….just because there is an association between
some high-growth industries and various forms of
geographical concentration does not mean that this
concentration is the main cause of their economic growth
or relative success” (p. 29).
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Feldman and Martin (RP, 2005): ”Constructing
jurisdictional advantage”
• Regional agglomeration – cluster – jurisdiction.
• Cluster: ”…spatially defined epistemic communities of
common interest” (p. 1237).
• Jurisdiction focused at the ’city-region’, ”…because the
literature on clustering and agglomeration increasingly
points to the importance of small and compact
geographic units” (p. 1239).
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(2) The role of policy in cluster formation
Feldman and Martin (RP, 2005):
Two outer poles
•
Agressive central planning
•
Straight-forward laissez faire
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Feldman and Martin (RP, 2005): The role of
policies in cluster formation
• ”Previous work on clusters has emphasized the ramdom
nature of geographical location” (p. 1247). Krugman
(1991) in more general; Klepper on e.g. Detroit.
• ”In contrast we argue that clusters may be constructed,
but not in the way that policy typically proceeds by
targeting an industry that is poised to take off in another
location. Instead we argue that policy may be fruitfully
employed by building upon unique place-specific assets”
(p. 1247).
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