Business Networks as Drivers of Cluster DevelopmentLars Gelsing

Academic Summit: Innovation and business models in clusters

5 September 2013

Lars

Gel

sing

, lg@

busi

ness

.aau

.dk

Business Networks as Drivers of Cluster DevelopmentThe Process of turning Knowledge Networks into Commercial Business Networks.

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ness

.aau

.dk

Cluster litteratureAlfred Marshall, 1842-1924.

Charles Sable,Michael Piore (1984)

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Clusters with high performance

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Subsuppliers• Taylor made luggage:

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Accessories

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Clusters Emilia Romagna style

PIACENZA

RIMINI

PARMA

REGGIO EMILIA

MODENA

FORLI’

BOLOGNA

FERRARA

RAVENNA

Machine tools

Farm machinery

Food processing

Textile-clothing industry

Upholstered furniture

Packaging machines

Ceramic products and machines for

ceramic industry

sportscars

Shoes

Biomedical products

Wood –processing machines= tech.center

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sing

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ness

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.dk

The most famous of them all…

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Cluster dynamics

• Not all clusters are particularly succesful• Which are the factors behind succes?• What are we looking for, when estimating

succes?• Earnings for businesses and people• Entrepreneurial activity• Jobs• Innovation• Specialization in companies and labour = Commercial effects

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Gel

sing

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busi

ness

.aau

.dk

Cluster dynamics and business network formation.

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Networks and purposes

• Knowledge networks: sharing knowledge, expanding the knowledge base.• Innovation networks: pre-competitive,

explorative activities.• Commercial networks: strategic alliances.

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Resources for commercial network processes• trust creation, credibility establishment, awareness building,

customer education, trial opportunities, distribution and complementary offerings.

• resources for the commercialization through social relations and trust building, ability to mobilize resources for the commercialization through motivating and providing resource trade -offs and ability to organize resources for the commercialization and accommodate interconnectedness, reciprocity and goal coherence.

Relevant for

• Designers of cluster policies• Cluster facilitators

Aarikke Stenroos og Sandberg, 2012.

Lars

Gel

sing

, lg@

busi

ness

.aau

.dk

lg@business.aau.dk

Comments and questions please!