This monthly selection of articles is been carried out by Philippe Gugler and Basile de Raemy, from the Center for Competitiveness, University of Fribourg. The entire selection, carried out since 2013, can be consulted on the academic articles page of our web.

Economic agglomeration in the age of  Industry 4.0: developing a digital industrial cluster as a new policy tool for  the digital world

By: R. Fernandez-Escobedo, B. Eguía-Peña, L. Aldaz-Odriozola. Competitiveness Review, DOI: 10.1108/CR-07-2022-0095, April 2023.

Abstract: “Purpose – This conceptual paper aims to develop the vision of a novel policy tool called the digital industrial cluster (DIC) thought for a future context shaped by digital economies and Industry 4.0. The DIC departs from the industrial cluster’s precepts and take them into the digital agglomeration phenomenon. Design/methodology/approach – This research uses a discursive and theoretical approach. To create a clear picture related to the research topic, this paper reviews the literature on how industrial clusters deal with digital transformation. The review takes a particular interest in industrial clusters, information and communication technologies, Industry 4.0 and policy tools for digital agglomeration. Findings – The research develops the vision of the DIC as a new policy tool, building its foundations on both industrial clusters and digital economies; furthermore, the DIC was compared with other policy tools based on digital agglomeration to understand the similarities, differences and advantages of the former. Finally, this paper discussed where the DIC could find its way toward implementation and what externalities could be expected from doing so. Practical implications – This research could be useful for policymakers and cluster organizations looking to deploy policy tools that take advantage of industrial clusters and digital transformation. Besides, the theoretical foundations presented could lead researchers to empirical identification of early incarnations of the DIC. Originality/value – This paper develops theoretical principles for a new policy tool that connects industrial clusters, digital agglomeration and Industry 4.0 for the first time.” [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHORS]

Risk responses strategies of  companies belonging to manufacturing clusters in Puerto Rico

By: J. Ayala Cruz. Continuity & Resilience Review, DOI: 10.1108/CRR-02-2023-0003, April 2023.

Abstract: “Purpose – This paper discloses the risk management response strategies and the perceived effectiveness of the strategies employed by companies operating within manufacturing clusters in Puerto Rico from 2016 until 2020, the second year of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Design/methodology/approach – The research design consists of questionnaire-based survey responses from companies belonging to manufacturing clusters, followed by semi-structured interviews and secondary sources of information. Findings – The results reveal the risk responses used to manage specific risk types. Albeit respondents’ dependency on an assortment of company-centric and cluster-bound risk response strategies, the perception is that the former is more effective when adequate local sources are available and the latter when the cluster has strong interconnectedness among the cluster’s members. Research  limitations/implications – Furthermore, there is a generalized belief that long-term cluster-bound strategies are required to complement individual companies’ overall risk management strategies. Originality/value – This paper demonstrated that due to the volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity (VUCA) nature of the Caribbean region, mixed risk management might result in better and more favorable long-term performance.” [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Family firm network strategies in  regional clusters: evidence from Italy

By: S. Ghinoi, R. De Vita, B. Steiner, A. Sinatra. Small Business Economics, DOI: 10.1007/s11187-023-00755-5, March 2023.

Abstract: “Knowledge networks in regional clusters are fundamental to support innovation and local development. Within clusters, family firms are key in creating business opportunities and supporting the establishment of inter-organizational networks. Yet, their role within regional clusters for knowledge transfers is still not well understood, especially in comparison with non-family firms. This paper applies Exponential Random Graph Models (ERGMs) to network data collected from the Parabiago cluster, one of the most important Italian footwear clusters, to contribute to a better understanding of the network strategies of family firms. We identify distinct network strategies associated with the cluster firms, accounting for different knowledge exchange types: technological, market, and managerial. In our modelling, we control for firm-level attributes and dyadic-level attributes, such as geographical distance and cognitive proximity between cluster firms. Our results suggest that the proneness of family firms to grow networks is highly robust relative to non-family firm relationships, irrespective of knowledge types being exchanged. Moreover, family firms tend to establish connections with other family firms, showing the presence of homophily in their networking approach; however, non-family firms are rather different, since they do not have the same homophilous approach when it comes to exchange knowledge with other non-family firms. These results indicate that the nature of ownership is driving knowledge exchange differences. This key feature of family-only relationships in clusters may help managers and policymakers in devising more effective and targeted cluster strategies.” [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHORS]

Deconstructing cluster identity:  place branding and trademarking by cluster organizations

By: S. F. Grimbert, J. M. Zabala-Iturriagagoitia, J. Pesme. Regional Studies, DOI: 10.1080/00343404.2023.2181951, March 2023.

Abstract: “The paper defines ‘cluster identity’ as an intangible attribute of clusters comprised of place branding and trademarking by cluster organizations, respectively anchored in a ‘logic of belonging’ and a ‘logic of similarity’. We expand the taxonomy of proximities and their dynamics according to their belonging/similarity logic and their tangible/intangible nature. As illustrated in the context of the Bordeaux wine region of France, we find that a prevailing logic of belonging leads to reputational inertia. We propose that trademarking by cluster organizations can facilitate the adaptation of cluster identity, thereby emphasizing its potential as an instrument for cluster managers to engage in community-building.” [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHORS]

Memorable tourism experience at smart tourism destinations:  Do travelers’ residential tourism clusters matter?

By: H. H. Shin, J. Kim, M. Jeong. Tourism Management Perspective, DOI: 10.1016/j.tmp.2023.101103, March 2023.

Abstract: “Despite strong evidence from the social ecological model suggesting the influences of the residential built environment on individuals' behaviors, the effects of travelers' residential tourism clusters on their tourism experience at smart tourism destinations have not been investigated. Thus, this study aims to understand the effects of travelers' residential tourism clusters on their memorable tourism experience at a smart tourism destination. To achieve the purpose, this study investigated (1) how various tourism products influence travelers' memorable experiences and future behavioral intentions, and (2) the moderating effect of travelers' residential tourism clusters in the proposed relationships. Findings showed the positive effects of tourism resources and smart tourism technologies' interactivity and personalization on memorable tourism experience, and the group difference between travelers from more-tourism clustered and less-tourism clustered areas. These findings can help tourism scholars and practitioners understand the effects of both destination-related attributes and traveler-related attributes on travelers' memorable experience at smart tourism destinations.” [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHORS]

The development of global creative centers from a regional  perspective: A case study of Milan’s creative industries

By: C. Shen, X. Zhang, X. Li. Plos One, DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0281937, April 2023.

Abstract: “With the advancement of globalization and the deepening interlock between cities globally, the research on urban culture and creative development should be expanded from a single city scale to regional and urban agglomeration scale. Creative clusters will become an important spatial scale to break the bottleneck of urban development in the future. In Europe, cities such as London, Paris, and Milan have developed creative industries and built creative clusters relatively early, and hence they gradually become global creative centers. However, there are few studies on the development of their creative industries from a regional perspective. This research uses multi-source data within the scope selected and based on comprehensive standards, to analyze regional development characteristics of creative industries in Milan, creative clusters formed with Milan as its core, and influencing factors of its development. Through the study of a global creative center from a regional perspective, references for emerging creative cities and those that require industrial transformation can be achieved.” [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHORS]

Urban green innovation’s spatial association networks in  China and their mechanisms 

By: S. Dong, G. Ren, Y. Xue, K. Liu. Sustainable Cities and Society, DOI: 10.1016/j.scs.2023.104536, March 2023.

Abstract: “Green innovation is an important concept of sustainable development to achieve resource conservation and environmental optimization. It is of importance to investigate the spatial association networks of urban green innovation (UGI) and their mechanisms in order to expand research on green innovation and develop urban policies. In the present study, green patents are employed to reflect UGI, social network analysis is used to examine the overall networks, individual networks, and blocks of UGI, and a Quadratic Assignment Procedure is employed to verify its mechanisms across 359 Chinese cities. According to the results, China’s UGI had significant overall network features, but the spatial association between individual cities still needs to be improved. In Chinese cities, there was a significant polarization of green innovation networks, with a remarkable core-periphery structure. Despite the obvious spatial clustering in China’s UGI, the spatial association mostly occurred within blocks, and it is necessary to strengthen the association between blocks. A spatial association network for UGI is more likely to be formed when there is a greater difference in science and technology policy and culture, and a smaller difference in ecological environment and environmental policy.” [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHORS]

Building innovative capacity in regional entrepreneurship  and innovation (eco)systems: Startups versus incumbent firms

By: W. Fu, H. Qian. Wiley: Growth and Change, DOI: 10.1111/grow.12673, March 2023.

Abstract: “This article studies how three sets of regional factors—knowledge, agglomeration, and openness—impact and interact differently with startups and incumbent firms in their innovative capacity building. Based on a large dataset of Chinese high-tech firms, regression analysis shows that the speed of growing startup innovative capacity relies positively on regional knowledge stock and localization economies. In addition to regional knowledge stock, incumbent innovative capacity building benefits from urbanization economies and regional openness. Favorable regional factors, including the presence of universities and the clustering of knowledge-intensive peers, also enable startups (but not incumbents) to leverage internal knowledge assets into their innovative capacity. The results suggest that it is not only the access to the external knowledge environment but also proactive endeavors to cross-fertilize between internal and external knowledge that underlie the eco-systemic nature of startup innovative capacity building.” [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHORS]

How intrafirm collaboration network  influences a firm’s new knowledge search? Longitudinal evidence from the US  biotechnology industry

By: D. Nan. Journal of Knowledge Management, DOI: 10.1108/JKM-06-2022-0478, April 2023.

Abstract: “Purpose – This study aims to reveal the contribution mechanism of various types of intrafirm networks formed among inventors to firms’ searching for new knowledge. This study also intends to show how this mechanism is influenced by the geographic dispersion of inventors and the external alliance of firms. Design/methodology/approach – This study develops an analytical framework building on social network theory to explain the collective search among inventors within the firm. The authors validate the hypotheses using the data from 316 publicly traded biotechnology firms in the USA. Findings – As demonstrated by the findings, intrafirm network clustering facilitates the search for new knowledge. The geographic dispersion of inventors’ location has a negative moderating effect on this relation, whereas the number of alliance partners has a positive moderating effect on this relation. By contrast, the search for new knowledge is hampered by the intrafirm network average path length. The geographic dispersion of inventors positively moderates this relation, whereas a firm’s alliance partner number negatively moderates this relation. Originality/value – To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to examine the joint effect of intrafirm networks, inventors’ geographic locations and external alliances on the new knowledge-searching process. This study points out that new knowledge acquired through inventors’ geographic locations and alliance partners is internalized efficiently according to different types of internal networks.” [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]