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Can a knowledge-based cluster be created? The case of the Barcelona 22@ district

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  • Elisabet Viladecans-Marsal
  • Josep-Maria Arauzo-Carod

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to track the location decisions of knowledge-intense firms in a redeveloped urban district in the city of Barcelona in which government policy has promoted the formation of a cluster of knowledge-based activities. After decades of economic and industrial stagnation in a district called Poblenou, in the year 2000 the City Council of Barcelona implemented a plan to renew the area’s urban and economic structure. Under the development plan, knowledge-based firms were encouraged to set up in the area creating a cluster of advanced activities. This paper examines the success of this local policy and aims to determine whether cluster amenities have played a part in attracting knowledge-based activities. First, we evaluate the cluster implementation via a differences-in-differences analysis comparing the increase in the number of knowledge-based firms in this specific area with the increase of this kind of firm elsewhere in the city and the metropolitan area. Second, to test whether cluster amenities are determinant factors for the location of knowledge-based firms, we perform a multivariate regression analysis explaining intra-city firm location at the ZIP code level. Data about new firms come from a business-census that contains detailed information about location determinants of these firms as well as their characteristics.
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  • Elisabet Viladecans-Marsal & Josep-Maria Arauzo-Carod, 2012. "Can a knowledge-based cluster be created? The case of the Barcelona 22@ district," Papers in Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 91(2), pages 377-400, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:presci:v:91:y:2012:i:2:p:377-400
    DOI: j.1435-5957.2011.00383.x
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    2. Claire Dujardin & Virginie Louis & Florian Mayneris, 2015. "Les pôles de compétitivité wallons Quel impact sur les performances économiques des entreprises ? The Walloon competitiveness clusters and their impact on firms’ economic performances?," LIDAM Discussion Papers IRES 2015017, Université catholique de Louvain, Institut de Recherches Economiques et Sociales (IRES).
    3. Méndez Ortega, Carles, & Teruel, Mercedes, 2018. "To acquire or not to acquire: Mergers and Acquisitions in the Software Industry," Working Papers 2072/307043, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Department of Economics.
    4. Bronzini, Raffaello & Piselli, Paolo, 2016. "The impact of R&D subsidies on firm innovation," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 45(2), pages 442-457.
    5. Dirk Crass & Christian Rammer & Birgit Aschhoff, 2019. "Geographical clustering and the effectiveness of public innovation programs," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 44(6), pages 1784-1815, December.
    6. Kristinn Hermannsson & Rosario Scandurra & Marcello Graziano, 2019. "Will the regional concentration of tertiary education persist? The case of Europe in a period of rising participation," Regional Studies, Regional Science, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 6(1), pages 539-556, January.
    7. Muscio, Alessandro & Lopolito, Antonio & Nardone, Gianluca, 2019. "Evaluating social dynamics within technology clusters: A methodological approach to assess social capital," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).
    8. Nathan, Max, 2022. "Does light touch cluster policy work? Evaluating the tech city programme," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 51(9).
    9. EFI - Expertenkommission Forschung und Innovation (ed.), 2015. "Gutachten zu Forschung, Innovation und technologischer Leistungsfähigkeit Deutschlands 2015," Reports on Research, Innovation and Technological Performance in Germany, Expertenkommission Forschung und Innovation (EFI) - Commission of Experts for Research and Innovation, Berlin, volume 127, number 2015, March.

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    JEL classification:

    • R12 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - Size and Spatial Distributions of Regional Economic Activity; Interregional Trade (economic geography)

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