This important new book takes a critical view on regional industry clusters, in particular their identification and formation, and the policies which help create and support them.

There is now a wide spread interest in regions as a key focus in the organization and governance of economic growth and wealth creation. This important book considers the factors that influence and shape the competitive performance of regions. This is not just an issue of academic interest and debate, but also of increasing policy deliberation and action. However, as the readings in this book make clear, the very idea of regional competitiveness is itself complex and contentious. Many academics and policy makers have used the concept without fully considering what is meant by the term and how it can be measured. Policy formulation has tended to rush ahead of understanding and analysis, and the purpose of this book is to close this important gap in understanding. This book was previously published as a special issue of Regional Studies.

The world's leading experts contribute to our understanding of regional innovation, cluster formation and the factors that influence regional productivity and innovative performance. The text improves our understanding of the reasons why, how and where innovation clusters emerge, as well as the factors that determine their respective success or failure. In doing so, it provides a timely and comprehensive picture on innovation, location, networks and clusters as important means in an environment of intensifying interregional competition. The book is written for professional researchers as well as for students and practitioners in politics, business and consultancy.

Addressing the role of regional clusters in the context of ongoing globalization, this timely book investigates the two seemingly competing trends of globalization and localization from both quantitative and qualitative perspectives. International case studies offer pioneering insights into the internationalization process of regional clusters and the effect of this on regional as well as firm performance.

Essay from the year 2002 in the subject Economics - Micro-economics, grade: 16 of 20, University of St Andrews (Economics Department), course: Regional Economics, language: English, abstract: Clusters can be motors for regions. They are supposed to reduce unemployment, ensure growth and wealth. This essay will discuss the question critically whether regional economic policy is able to create and enforce those new industrial districts. The limited extent of this text forces us to describe the topic nearly without examples; it is also not possible to mention all theoretical approaches in depths, it was rather just necessary to combine different ideas (e.g. in the definition part). It will be shown that there is still a lot of academic work to be done until the phenomenon of regional cluster will be utterly understood. Nevertheless it will become clear that the strength of the policy is that there are many possibilities to affect the growth and evolution of clusters. Yet, most of them have several weaknesses to be thought of. Due to the fact that most clusters have been created or came into existence throughout decades, a change in policy makers` minds will be necessary. They have to accept that building up successful clusters is not possible within a short term perspective.

Analyses the economic development of cities from the 'cultural economy' and 'creative industry' perspectives.

How logistics clusters can create jobs while providing companies with competitive advantage. Why is Memphis home to hundreds of motor carrier terminals and distribution centers? Why does the tiny island-nation of Singapore handle a fifth of the world's maritime containers and half the world's annual supply of crude oil? Which jobs can replace lost manufacturing jobs in advanced economies? Some of the answers to these questions are rooted in the phenomenon of logistics clusters—geographically concentrated sets of logistics-related business activities. In this book, supply chain management expert Yossi Sheffi explains why Memphis, Singapore, Chicago, Rotterdam, Los Angeles, and scores of other locations have been successful in developing such clusters while others have not. Sheffi outlines the characteristic “positive feedback loop” of logistics clusters development and what differentiates them from other industrial clusters; how logistics clusters “add value” by generating other industrial activities; why firms should locate their distribution and value-added activities in logistics clusters; and the proper role of government support, in the form of investment, regulation, and trade policy. Sheffi also argues for the most important advantage offered by logistics clusters in today's recession-plagued economy: jobs, many of them open to low-skilled workers, that are concentrated locally and not “offshorable.” These logistics clusters offer what is rare in today's economy: authentic success stories. For this reason, numerous regional and central governments as well as scores of real estate developers are investing in the development of such clusters. View a trailer for the book at: http://techtv.mit.edu/videos/22284-logistics-clusters-yossi-sheffi