Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
Table 12.4
Cluster analysis and policy exploitive expansion stage
Cluster
dimensions
Indicators and measures
Patterns
Policy guidelines
Spatial
concentration
Geographic spread (boundary);
density of core industry firms
Geographical concentration
occurring at a decelerating rate;
core industry firms boundary
observable and expanding
geographically; density of firms
in the core industry stabilizing;
increasing for supporting firms.
Local regional level
1. Provide information about cluster dynamics to the industry and
supporting businesses and associations: during early part of this stage
to promote agreement on standards and best practices and strategic
plan development; but during latter part of the stage convey that cluster
dynamics are slowing and strategic planning is necessary to determine
how to regenerate or sustain the cluster
2. Work with cluster representatives to streamline regulatory
environment in latter part of the stage to thwart attempts to seek
regulatory protection from external competitors
3.Maintain, renew (and create new) hard and soft infrastructure
5.Encourage industry groups to support incubation and accelerators by
outsourcing spinoff companies
6. Maintain and disseminate information on workforce/training needs
and promote training by local education institutions
Macro level (EU or National)
1.Provide planning assistance (technical and grants) and relevant
information for clusters during the final parts of the Exploitative stage
to support regeneration
2. Create special fund to support planning for sustaining clusters
Notes and caveats
1. The Exploitative Expansion stage means that the cluster economy is
maturing and returns are increasing but at decreasing rates, nearing
zero at end of this stage; Increasing returns growth of the Exploratory
stage has declined as broad agreement has been reached on best
practices and overall strategic plan that may be flawed because of a
failure to anticipate homogenizing trends.
2. The role of government is to recognize that the cluster is maturing
and if growth slows showing signs of moving toward locking in on
Industry/Cluster
strength
Number of firms in core
industry; employment; income;
I-O analysis; location quotient
(LQ) analysis
Core industry still growing but
at a decreasing rate with LQ
stabilizing; increasing flows
among core industry and
supplier industries (I-O Table).
Knowledge and
information
Patents increasing at decreasing
rate; STEM sponsored research
increasing at decreasing rate;
university-industry linkages
increasing but at decreasing
rate; knowledge and
information shifting to
homogeneous
Entrepreneurship Number of start-ups; churn rate Rate of new start-ups
decreasing as cluster matures;
the churn rate decreases and by
end of this stage there are few
new start-ups and failure rates
increase in the few cases
Number of universities and
STEM research funding;
industry survey; expert
interviews; focus groups
Convergence
Agreed on strategic plan;
membership in business assns;
Convergence occurs rapidly
from mid-stage; networks and
