The core in the periphery? The cluster organisation as the central node in the Apulian aerospace district (original) (raw)
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International Journal of Technology Transfer and Commercialisation, 2010
According to the dominant literature, spatial proximity matters for successful inter-firm collaboration for innovation and more generally for knowledge transfer. This assumption is based on the argument that the tacit character of complex knowledge makes repetitive face-to-face interactions and shared cognition necessary to capture new ideas and to exchange knowledge. In contrast with this assumption, another stream of literature supports the idea that innovating requires integrating 'global best' scientific discoveries and knowledge, despite the geographical position of potential partners. Based on field research in the aerospace cluster of Rome, this study offers empirical evidence for the assumption that geographical proximity matters for inter-firm innovation-related knowledge exchange. Although external innovation collaborations are more diffused than local ones, we found that local relationships are more effective as knowledge vehicles, because more knowledge is exchanged through local relationships than through external ties. Moreover, it is showed that the propensity to transfer more knowledge with co-located partners is accentuated for the most critical type of knowledge. Finally, it is demonstrated that the propensity to access external knowledge is unevenly distributed among cluster firms. and Public Policy. His main interests include behavioural methods of decision making; industrial clusters/districts; coordination theory; socio-cognitive aspects of organisational behaviour; organisational consequences of computermediated communication; epistemology of organisation science.
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This paper discusses some conditions under which the Cohesion Policy of the European Union can effectively contribute to enhance R&I in Europe and the extent to which it offers a relevant framework for devising Research & Innovation policies at regional level overcoming possible tensions and maximising potentials for synergy. To do so, the paper mainly relies on an in-depth illustrative case study of an Italian Southern region, Apulia. The paper describes the regional innovation system put in place by the Apulia Region and analyses the value added that can be attributed to such a system as far as innovation and economic development promotion are concerned; on this basis, findings from the case study are generalised in a set of lessons learned with hopefully more general relevance: these are discussed in Section 4.
The paper analyses the role of external knowledge flows in the upgrading of the biomedical district of Mirandola, Emilia-Romagna region, in Italy. The district produces two types of products, namely disposables and electromedical machines, and the paper considers this second production type. The Mirandola district has been able to maintain a relatively good competitive position. The paper shows that while all firms in this sector in this region tend to have fairly good performance in terms of size and revenue growth, a significant difference exists in terms of innovation performance. Firms in the Mirandola district produce more patents and more scientific publications. From a methodological point of view, negative binomial regressions are made on the determinants of patenting and publishing activity by firms. Two major factors seem to explain the superior performance in terms of innovation. First, the significant role of the leader firms in the district. Second, linkages external to...
Do Clusters Still Matter for Innovation? The Case of the Lombardy Meta-Districts
This paper investigates empirically whether a firm's localization within the Lom-bardy technological districts (meta-districts) affects innovation in the manufacturing sector. We use a new dataset which links the Community Innovation Survey with firms' balance sheets, and which also allows us to analyse the economic and financial efficiency conditions of our sample of firms. Results support the view that positive networking effects may favour innovative firms within a technological district. Conversely, being localized in a technological cluster does not represent a sufficient condition for being a successful innovator. These results may represent the economic underpinning of policy analysis aimed at fostering innovation at the sub-regional level.
Building local nodes in a global sector: Clustering within the aeronautics industry in Montreal
Canadian Geographer / Le Géographe canadien, 2011
Centre de recherche sur les innovations sociales (CRISES) and Canada Research Chair on the socio-organizational challenges of the Knowledge Economy Télé-université, Université du Québecà Montréal This article analyzes the mechanisms through which metropolitan governance is established in Montreal's aeronautics sector, one of the most important and innovative industries in the region. The article also examines the role of lead firms, socio-economic actors, and public agencies from a territorial point of view. It is established that on the one hand the existence of a small number of prime producers at the local level facilitates productive linkages among businesses through subcontracting, and on the other hand, the intensive participation of intermediate socio-economic agencies and organizations ensures a metropolitan anchoring of the sector and creates a strong territorial identity among the players.
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