Civil Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
in Busan. Research institutes play a more crucial role for innovation in Daejeon
than in Gwangju. The proportion of new products in the total sales is compara-
tively high, and a number of firms experience innovation in Daejeon. It can be
assumed that this is why the cooperation and knowledge spillover between
research bodies such as universities and research institutes, and local businesses
play a decisive role in the regional innovation system.
In summary, the strategic industry cluster of the three metropolitan cities has
the following in common: First, the premier industry was selected that is the
largest in scale and most competitive out of the four strategic industries chosen by
region; second, most of the firms are located in the industrial complex or business-
agglomerated location; third, the proportion of product innovation is higher than
that of process innovation; fourth, the source of innovation in the process of the
corporate innovation is the experiences achieved from the joint projects or
researches, and informal contacts hardly constitute the innovation source; and
lastly, customers as innovation partner play a decisive role in creating innovation
for each strategic industry.
On the other hand, the mechanical parts and materials industral cluster of Busan
is different from the Daejeon ICT and Gwangju photonics industrial cluster.
Firstly, while the businesses of Busan were founded before the financial crisis in
1997, those of Daejeon and Gwangju were set up after the crisis. Secondly, while
the proportion of innovation experience of the businesses in Busan was 40 %, that
of those in Daejeon and Gwangju was high, or 90 %. Thirdly, for the Busan
businesses, open sources such as patent information, technology information,
paper and Internet was not important as innovation source; however, it was the
second most important factor for the Daejeon and Gwangju businesses. Fourth, for
the Busan enterprises, suppliers were the second most important innovation partner
while for those in Daejeon and Gwangju, it is the research institutes that are the
second most important innovation partner.
Fifth, while cooperation has significant influence on innovation for the Busan
businesses, it hardly affects innovation for the companies in Gwangju and Daej-
eon. Sixth, for the Busan firms, most of the R&D collaboration is carried out
within the region no matter who the partner is. For the Gwangju and Daejeon
enterprises, R&D collaboration with universities and research institutes is carried
out within the region, with customers is conducted in the SMA. This means that
the major customers of the Gwangju and Daejeon industries can be found in the
SMA; therefore, it is hard to say the clusters have achieved the critical mass.
Seventh, while the Busan companies exchange the tacit knowledge with the cus-
tomers in the process of innovation, those in Gwangju and Daejeon do it in the
course of the joint research with universities and research institutes.
Based on these results, it can be said that, the Busan mechanical parts and
materials industrial cluster has achieved the critical mass, but that it lacks the
leading enterprise which can play a key role for the regional economy, with the
venture companies being sluggish in the region. Since the interactions and col-
laboration are weak among firms, it is proper to say that it is at the early stage of
the cluster development at which the base for innovation is provided.
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