1st Edition

Unfolding Cluster Evolution

Edited By Fiorenza Belussi, Jose Luis Hervás-Oliver Copyright 2017
    312 Pages
    by Routledge

    312 Pages 31 B/W Illustrations
    by Routledge

    Various theories have been put forward as to why business and industry develops in clusters and despite good work being carried out on path dependence and dynamics, this is still very much an emerging topic in the social sciences. To date, no overarching theoretical framework has been developed to show how clusters evolve.



    Unfolding Cluster Evolution aims to address this gap by presenting theoretical and empirical research on the geography of innovation. This contributed volume seeks to shed light on the understanding of clusters and its dynamic evolution. The book provides evidence to suggest that traditional perspectives from evolutionary economic geography need to be wedded to management thinking in order to reach this point. Bringing together thinking from a range of disciplines and countries across Europe, this book explores a wide range of topics from the capability approach, to network dynamics, to multinational corporations, to firm entry and exit and social capital.



    This book will be of interest to policy makers and students of urban studies, economic geography, and planning and development.

    Table of Contents





    Preface





    Introduction Understanding cluster evolution: beyond life cycles





    Chapter 1 Crossing economic geography and international business to understand multinationals in clusters and industrial districts





    Chapter 2 Economies And Diseconomies Of Agglomeration: Financial Services In The City Of London





    Chapter 3 The dual role of multinational corporations in cluster evolution: when you dance with the devil, you wait for the song to stop







    Chapter 4 Multinational Corporations And Cluster Evolution: The Case Of Cosentino In The Spanish Marble-Cluster





    Chapter 5 Reverse Relocation, off-shoring and back-shoring in the Arzignano tannery cluster/district: Moving Labor and Capital in the Global Economy





    Chapter 6 Ethnic Entrepreneurship In The Prato Industrial District. An Analysis Of Foundings And Failures Of Italian And Chinese Firms





    Chapter 7 Cluster Evolution And MNEs: Analysis Of The Interplay In The Toy Valley In Spain





    Chapter 8 The Dynamics Of Inward Foreign Investments Inside An Industrial District: Using Computer Simulation To Guide Empirical Research





    Chapter 9 Cluster Life Cycles And Path Dependency: An Exploratory Assessment Of Cluster Evolution In The Basque Country





    Chapter 10 Driving factors of cluster evolution: A multi-scalar comparative perspective





    Chapter 11 On the emergence and evolution of clusters: the role of agency and external factors in the Galician turbot industry.





    Chapter 12 Cluster Evolution And Political Lock-Ins





    Chapter 13 The Evolutionary Dynamics Of Creative Clusters: How Can They Best Be Captured?





    Chapter 14 Understanding Cluster Evolution: A Capability-Based Approach





    Chapter 15 Organizational Configurations And Development Of The

    Biography



    Fiorenza Belussi is Professor at the University of Padova, Italy. Her areas of interest include management of innovation and creativity; creative industries; theoretical models on innovation diffusion through gatekeepers; studies of open innovation; international business; and the impact of globalisation on local economies.



    Jose Luis Hervás-Oliver is Associate Professor of Strategy and Competitiveness at the Polytechnic University of Valencia, School of Industrial Engineers, Spain. His research interests lie at the intersection between innovation and economic geography.