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Do clusters really matter for innovation practices in Information Technology? Questioning the significance of technological knowledge spillovers

Do clusters really matter for innovation practices in Information Technology? Questioning the significance of technological knowledge spillovers
Do clusters really matter for innovation practices in Information Technology? Questioning the significance of technological knowledge spillovers
A widespread assumption in economic geography and the economics of innovation is that firms located in clusters benefit from territorial learning and knowledge spillovers. However, it remains unclear to what extent these benefits actually occur. This article aims to address this issue and examines to what extent research and development workers in the Cambridge Information Technology Cluster benefit from being located in the Cluster. The study shows why many do not believe that their work benefits from being located in the Cluster. The results suggest that academics as well as policy makers need to be more careful with the assumption of technological knowledge spillovers in innovative clusters. The significant advantages of the Cambridge IT Cluster seem to be of a different nature; in particular they concern labour market advantages and benefits from the global 'brand' of Cambridge.
clusters, knowledge spillovers, territorial learning, agglomeration economies
1468-2702
107-126
Huber, Franz
2ddb1e89-a096-434b-88e0-10da081b5ef6
Huber, Franz
2ddb1e89-a096-434b-88e0-10da081b5ef6

Huber, Franz (2012) Do clusters really matter for innovation practices in Information Technology? Questioning the significance of technological knowledge spillovers. Journal of Economic Geography, 12 (1), 107-126. (doi:10.1093/jeg/lbq058).

Record type: Article

Abstract

A widespread assumption in economic geography and the economics of innovation is that firms located in clusters benefit from territorial learning and knowledge spillovers. However, it remains unclear to what extent these benefits actually occur. This article aims to address this issue and examines to what extent research and development workers in the Cambridge Information Technology Cluster benefit from being located in the Cluster. The study shows why many do not believe that their work benefits from being located in the Cluster. The results suggest that academics as well as policy makers need to be more careful with the assumption of technological knowledge spillovers in innovative clusters. The significant advantages of the Cambridge IT Cluster seem to be of a different nature; in particular they concern labour market advantages and benefits from the global 'brand' of Cambridge.

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More information

Published date: 1 January 2012
Keywords: clusters, knowledge spillovers, territorial learning, agglomeration economies
Organisations: Strategy, Innovation & Entrepreneurship

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 201617
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/201617
ISSN: 1468-2702
PURE UUID: 5cc7aeeb-fb24-4de4-9855-36bb8bfa49f4

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Date deposited: 31 Oct 2011 16:24
Last modified: 14 Mar 2024 04:22

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