IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/egu/wpaper/0707.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Co-evolution of firms, industries and networks in space

Author

Listed:
  • Anne ter Wal
  • Ron A. Boschma

Abstract

The cluster literature suffers from a number of shortcomings: (1) by and large, cluster studies do not take into account that firms in a cluster are heterogeneous in terms of capabilities; (2) cluster studies tend to overemphasize the importance of place and geographical proximity and underestimate the role of networks which are, by definition, a-spatial entities; (3) most, if not all cluster studies have a static nature, and do not address questions like the origins and evolution of clusters. Our aim is to overcome these shortcomings and propose a theoretical framework on the evolution of clusters. Bringing together bodies of literature on clusters, industrial dynamics, the evolutionary theory of the firm and network theory, we describe how clusters co-evolve with: (1) the industry they adhere to; (2) the (dynamic) capabilities of the firms they contain; and (3) the industry-wide knowledge network they are part of. Based on this framework, we believe the analysis of cluster evolution provides a promising research agenda in evolutionary economic geography for the years to come.

Suggested Citation

  • Anne ter Wal & Ron A. Boschma, 2007. "Co-evolution of firms, industries and networks in space," Papers in Evolutionary Economic Geography (PEEG) 0707, Utrecht University, Department of Human Geography and Spatial Planning, Group Economic Geography, revised Aug 2007.
    • Handle: RePEc:egu:wpaper:0707
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://econ.geo.uu.nl/peeg/peeg0707.pdf
    File Function: Version August 2007
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Ron A. Boschma & Jan G. Lambooy, 1999. "Evolutionary economics and economic geography," Journal of Evolutionary Economics, Springer, vol. 9(4), pages 411-429.
    2. Giovanni Dosi & Christopher Freeman & Richard Nelson & Gerarld Silverberg & Luc Soete (ed.), 1988. "Technical Change and Economic Theory," LEM Book Series, Laboratory of Economics and Management (LEM), Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, Pisa, Italy, number dosietal-1988, November.
    3. Swann, G. M. Peter & Prevezer, Martha & Stout, David (ed.), 1998. "The Dynamics of Industrial Clustering: International Comparisons in Computing and Biotechnology," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780198289593.
    4. Michael S. Dahl & Christian Ø.R. Pedersen & Bent Dalum, 2003. "Entry by Spinoff in a High-tech Cluster," DRUID Working Papers 03-11, DRUID, Copenhagen Business School, Department of Industrial Economics and Strategy/Aalborg University, Department of Business Studies.
    5. Max-Peter Menzel & Dirk Fornahl, 2007. "Cluster Life Cycles - Dimensions and Rationales of Cluster Development," Jena Economics Research Papers 2007-076, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Ron A. Boschma & Anet B.R. Weterings, 2005. "The effect of regional differences on the performance of software firms in the Netherlands," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 5(5), pages 567-588, October.
    2. Jan Lambooy, 2010. "The Evolution of Spatial Patterns over Long Time-Horizons: The Relation with Technology and Economic Development," Chapters, in: Ron Boschma & Ron Martin (ed.), The Handbook of Evolutionary Economic Geography, chapter 22, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    3. Alessandro Muscio, 2006. "Patterns of Innovation in Industrial Districts: An Empirical Analysis," Industry and Innovation, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 13(3), pages 291-312.
    4. Ron Boschma, 2015. "Do spinoff dynamics or agglomeration externalities drive industry clustering? A reappraisal of Steven Klepper’s work," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press and the Associazione ICC, vol. 24(4), pages 859-873.
    5. Harald Bathelt & Andrew Munro & Ben Spigel, 2011. "Challenges of Transformation: Innovation, Re-bundling and Traditional Manufacturing in Canada's Technology Triangle," Papers in Evolutionary Economic Geography (PEEG) 1111, Utrecht University, Department of Human Geography and Spatial Planning, Group Economic Geography, revised Jun 2011.
    6. Boschma, Ron & Weterings, Anet, 2002. "How to explain the spatial evolution of new industries? The spatial evolution of the Dutch ICT industry," ERSA conference papers ersa02p328, European Regional Science Association.
    7. Cristiano Antonelli & Francesco Crespi & Giuseppe Scellato, 2013. "Internal and external factors in innovation persistence," Economics of Innovation and New Technology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 22(3), pages 256-280, April.
    8. Flavio L. Pinheiro & Pierre-Alexandre Balland & Ron Boschma & Dominik Hartmann, 2022. "The Dark Side of the Geography of Innovation. Relatedness, Complexity, and Regional Inequality in Europe," Papers in Evolutionary Economic Geography (PEEG) 2202, Utrecht University, Department of Human Geography and Spatial Planning, Group Economic Geography, revised Jan 2022.
    9. Michael P. Schlaile & Johannes Zeman & Matthias Mueller, 2021. "It’s a Match! Simulating Compatibility-based Learning in a Network of Networks," Economic Complexity and Evolution, in: Michael P. Schlaile (ed.), Memetics and Evolutionary Economics, chapter 0, pages 99-140, Springer.
    10. Verónica Robert & Gabriel Yoguel & Octavio Lerena, 2017. "The ontology of complexity and the neo-Schumpeterian evolutionary theory of economic change," Journal of Evolutionary Economics, Springer, vol. 27(4), pages 761-793, September.
    11. Ron Boschma & Koen Frenken, 2015. "Evolutionary Economic Geography," Papers in Evolutionary Economic Geography (PEEG) 1518, Utrecht University, Department of Human Geography and Spatial Planning, Group Economic Geography, revised May 2015.
    12. Matteo Laffi & Ron Boschma, 2022. "Does a local knowledge base in Industry 3.0 foster diversification in Industry 4.0 technologies? Evidence from European regions," Papers in Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 101(1), pages 5-35, February.
    13. Ron Boschma & Rik Wenting, 2011. "The spatial clustering of the Dutch banking sector in the Amsterdam region: the importance of spinoffs and mergers in the period 1850-1993," ERSA conference papers ersa10p1158, European Regional Science Association.
    14. Jan G. Lambooy, 2002. "Knowledge and Urban Economic Development: An Evolutionary Perspective," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 39(5-6), pages 1019-1035, May.
    15. Ron A. Boschma & Rik Wenting, 2004. "The spatial evolution of the British automobile industry," Papers in Evolutionary Economic Geography (PEEG) 0504, Utrecht University, Department of Human Geography and Spatial Planning, Group Economic Geography, revised Aug 2004.
    16. Ron Boschma & Floris Ledder, 2010. "The Evolution of the Banking Cluster of Amsterdam, 1850–1993: A Survival Analysis," Chapters, in: Dirk Fornahl & Sebastian Henn & Max-Peter Menzel (ed.), Emerging Clusters, chapter 8, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    17. Anne Tanner, 2011. "The place of new industries: the case of fuel cell technology and its technological relatedness to regional knowledge bases," Papers in Evolutionary Economic Geography (PEEG) 1113, Utrecht University, Department of Human Geography and Spatial Planning, Group Economic Geography, revised Jul 2011.
    18. Marjolein Canie¨ls & Henny Romijn, 2003. "Dynamic Clusters in Developing Countries: Collective Efficiency and Beyond," Oxford Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 31(3), pages 275-292.
    19. Heike Schroeder, 2011. "Application possibilities of the micro-meso-macro framework in economic geography," Papers in Evolutionary Economic Geography (PEEG) 1115, Utrecht University, Department of Human Geography and Spatial Planning, Group Economic Geography, revised Aug 2011.
    20. Uwe Cantner & Martin Kalthaus & Matthias Menter & Pierre Mohnen, 2023. "Global knowledge flows: characteristics, determinants, and impacts," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press and the Associazione ICC, vol. 32(5), pages 1063-1076.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    cluster evolution; network dynamics; industrial dynamics; co-evolution; evolutionary economic geography;
    All these keywords.

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:egu:wpaper:0707. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: the person in charge (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/deguunl.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.