What Is A Cluster Of Innovation

Innovation clusters. “Innovation clusters means groupings of independent undertakings — innovative start-ups, small, medium and large undertakings as well as research organisations — operating in a particular sector and region and designed to stimulate innovative activity by promoting intensive interactions, sharing of facilities and exchange of knowledge and expertise and by contributing effectively to technology transfer, networking and information dissemination among the undertakings in the cluster. Preferably, the Member State should intend to create a proper balance of SMEs and large undertakings in the cluster, to achieve a certain critical mass, notably through specialisation in a certain area of R&D&I and taking into account existing clusters in the Member State and at Community-level.

The innovation system vs. cluster process: common contributive elements towards regional development

Downloadable! Recent approaches to the study of innovations enhance some similar aspects of the innovation process in knowledge-based economies: (i) the systemic and interrelated nature of innovation and (ii) its geographic and inter-economic activities density of networking. One perspective is linked to the innovation systems approach at the national, regional and local level. What we know so far is that the most specialized forms of knowledge are becoming a short lived resource, in face of the (increasingly) fast changes that are occurring in the global economy; it’s the ability to learn permanently and to adapt to this fast changing scenario that determines the innovative performance of firms, regions and countries. Another approach is to be found in the research on cluster development, where proximity and interrelated technical/technological linkage are the main features to take under consideration. Although these two approaches operate at slightly different spatial scale of analysis, they both allow the identification of a set of key factors that contribute to understand the way in which institutions and actors, considering the innovation system or the cluster process, participate in the innovation atmosphere and in the economic growth. Nevertheless, both approaches show the same limitation: they tend to focalise into the descriptive and analytical level, disregarding the explanatory level. Local and regional authorities are, mainly, interested in the process of cluster intensification in the local and regional economies context. This feature stress out one other controversy level: are the “hard” location factors (the concrete tangible location factors) more important than the “soft” location factors (qualitative, intangible factors) or vice-versa? This paper aims to explore the current knowledge about this process and to open some fields of future research.


Video advice: Cluster business model innovation

Innovation rarely happens alone and many of us are involved in various clusters and innovation partnerships, but what are really cluster business models and how can we design better ones?


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Abstract

AbstractRecent approaches to the study of innovations enhance some similar aspects of the innovation process in knowledge-based economies: (i) the systemic and interrelated nature of innovation and (ii) its geographic and inter-economic activities density of networking. One perspective is linked to the innovation systems approach at the national, regional and local level. What we know so far is that the most specialized forms of knowledge are becoming a short lived resource, in face of the (increasingly) fast changes that are occurring in the global economy; itÂ’s the ability to learn permanently and to adapt to this fast changing scenario that determines the innovative performance of firms, regions and countries. Another approach is to be found in the research on cluster development, where proximity and interrelated technical/technological linkage are the main features to take under consideration. Although these two approaches operate at slightly different spatial scale of analysis, they both allow the identification of a set of key factors that contribute to understand the way in which institutions and actors, considering the innovation system or the cluster process, participate in the innovation atmosphere and in the economic growth.

Clusters of Innovation

Clusters of Innovations (COI) have been defined in 2022 as “global economic hot spots where new technologies germinate at an astounding rate and where pools of capital, expertise, and talent foster the development of new industries and new ways of doing business.”(1)

Educational and research institutions, particularly universities can promote innovation as understanding creation and diffusion centers, supplying companies with valuable background expertise and skilled workers, and being an origin of entrepreneurial activities and entrepreneurs these activities generate.

Universities reinforce an entrepreneurial culture by fostering creativity, experimentation, risk and acceptance of business failure. At Silicon Valley both local universities, Stanford and Berkeley, played a key role. Stanford University´s dean, Frederick Emmons Terman was very active in fostering entrepreneurial initiatives, by offering support, collaboration and networking, but also in undertaking directly commercial activities. Stanford university’s decision in 1951 to open the Stanford Research Park on its land was a milestone in the development of Silicon Valley and gave numerous firms the opportunity to settle in a stimulating and prosperous environment. Berkley was more devoted to produce high quality research and education, which resulted in the creation of a new generation of entrepreneurs like the founders of Intel.


Video advice: Innovation clusters

What role do multinational companies play in the dynamism and success of innovation clusters? See more at: http://destinationinnovation.economist.com


Clusters and the New Economics of Competition

Paradoxically, the enduring competitive advantages in a global economy lie increasingly in local things—knowledge, relationships, and motivation that distant rivals cannot match.

Most existing trade associations are extremely narrow they represent industries, not clusters. Additionally, as their role is understood to be lobbying the us government, their scope is national instead of local. National associations, however, are hardly ever sufficient to deal with the neighborhood problems that are most significant to cluster productivity.

Birth, Evolution, and Decline

Now that companies can source capital, goods, information, and technology from around the world, often with the click of a mouse, much of the conventional wisdom about how companies and nations compete needs to be overhauled. In theory, more open global markets and faster transportation and communication should diminish the role of location in competition. After all, anything that can be efficiently sourced from a distance through global markets and corporate networks is available to any company and therefore is essentially nullified as a source of competitive advantage.

When it comes to innovation clusters, policymakers need a new narrative

by Sarah Giest (Leiden University) This article suggests changing the cluster narrative around the importance of locality, life cycles and the focus on one industry and instead looking at t…

Further, the existence cycle model employed for clusters may not be helpful when targeting capacity elements. The main assumption of clusters dealing with phases in conjunction with a temporality argument is difficult to deal with for policymakers, as coverage is frequently layered in addition to hard and slow to alter. Stripping these dynamics lower to capacity-building elements means they are simpler to focus on.

This article suggests changing the cluster narrative around the importance of locality, life cycles and the focus on one industry and instead looking at the underlying mechanisms of collaborative and absorptive capacity driving innovation dynamics in and beyond clusters. This enables government in collaboration with cluster organisations to facilitate features of clusters in a more flexible way while recognising the multi-level and multi-stakeholder nature of innovation.

Innovation and Cluster Development

Our research facility offers know-how about technology cluster innovation and cluster development, thus creating the right cluster strategy for your business.

BCI has an established track record in supporting cluster organizations. BCI is promoting proper plans for, amongst others, clusters Hi-tech, Biobased Economy, Mediterranean Tech, Agri & Food and Horticulture. Strengthening companies, clusters and regions by harnessing their innovation output is among our core activities.

Cluster strategy

Innovation is an important cornerstone of competitiveness of businesses, clusters, cities and regions. In a global economy with fast technological developments and shorter product life-cycles the importance of the capacity to innovate and to implement at a fast pace is ever increasing. Innovation can also contribute to coping with important societal challenges such as climate change, energy transition and ageing population. So, for companies, cities, regions and technological clusters focusing on improving innovation output is imperative.

Boosting Innovation: The Cluster Approach

Both firms, keen to improve their competitiveness, and governments, keen to exploit new sources of economic and social progress, need to understand how innovation works in order to better stimulate it. The paradox of innovation is that it uses co-operation to enhance competition and to link many different actors in innovative clusters.

Inside a understanding-based economy, these clusters of innovative firms form around causes of understanding. They derive from a classy infrastructure by which understanding is developed, shared and exchanged, and therefore are characterised by highly concentrated and efficient links between entrepreneurs, investors and researchers. Clusters may take a number of forms, based on their primary technological and commercial regions of specialisation. Generally they operate within localised geographical areas and interact within bigger innovation systems in the regional, national and worldwide level. With globalisation, dynamic clusters have become important aspects inside a country’s ability to attract the worldwide investment that generates new technological expertise, to interest investors in innovation (investment capital, etc. ) and also to take advantage of the worldwide mobility of skilled personnel.

Research and innovation clusters – This report explores what clusters are and what factors need to be in place to allow a cluster to emerge.

This policy briefing explores what we can learn from existing research and innovation clusters when choosing how to invest in R&D. It outlines what clusters are and what factors need to be in place to allow a cluster to emerge by looking at eight examples of research and innovation clusters located in the UK and internationally.

Innovation Institute: Cluster Development

Clusters represent an important organizing principle for economic development organizations and offer a framework and a context for policy makers to identify and understand opportunities and ‘unmet needs’ for economic growth. The focus and emphasis on cluster-level analysis for understanding and evaluating outcomes and impacts is at the core of Innovation Institute investments and interventions.

Cluster Development in the Innovation Economy – Today many clusters are segmenting, with nascent and emerging sub-sectors evolving, often driven by new technologies, new market opportunities, and new growth dynamics. Examples include the emergence of robotics as a dynamic outgrowth of the defense electronics and aerospace clusters, the emergence of mobile communications as an outgrowth of the telecommunications and software applications clusters, and the emergence of big data from the data computer hardware, software, financial services, and health care delivery clusters.


Video advice: Global Clusters of Innovation: Lessons from Silicon Valley

Global Clusters of Innovation: Lessons from Silicon Valley


[FAQ]

Why are clusters of innovation important?

Clusters attract innovative people. They network, leading to the crosspollination of ideas. Companies benefit from each other's success: What one invents, rivals can access – think of a productivityboosting tool like Dropbox. And what one firm invents, others can build on.

What is cluster concept?

A cluster concept is one that is defined by a weighted list of criteria, such that no one of these criteria is either necessary or sufficient for membership. People say, for instance, that democracy is a cluster concept; Denis Dutton has recently argued that art is a cluster concept. ...

What is a cluster strategy?

Cluster Strategy: Promote business clusters by focusing resources and regulatory policies toward developing and retaining businesses in a number of discrete sectors that demonstrate opportunity to advance City goals and enhance the region's economic strength.

What is a cluster in business terms?

Clusters are geographic concentrations of interconnected companies and institutions in a particular field. Clusters encompass an array of linked industries and other entities important to competition.

How do industry clusters develop?

development of a cluster technology model using the basis factors – determination of growth points, opportunities and weaknesses of the cluster; identification of the ways of technological development and cluster boundaries; building a business model based on the cluster core (defining the core of the cluster, the ...

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