TY - JOUR

T1 - Networks of Clusters

T2 - A Governance Perspective

AU - Schüßler, Elke

AU - Decker, Carolin

AU - Lerch, Frank

N1 - Funding Information: ACOD e.V. draws its funding from membership fees. Paying members are the OEMs with plants in East Germany, a handful of systems suppliers and influential research institutes. It is also cofinanced by public funds, but these are due to decrease over the following years. Funding differs among the state initiatives that benefit from ACOD as a unified network in that it helps them to apply for national funding:

PY - 2013/6/26

Y1 - 2013/6/26

N2 - This paper aims to further our emerging knowledge on the external linkages of regional clusters. We adopt a network governance perspective and study connected clusters as goal-directed, multilevel whole networks that we denote as "cluster networks." Based on an analysis of four empirical cases varying in regional scope, age and industry context, we identify two governance forms: internally governed cluster networks are formed to establish ties among cluster representative organizations to share knowledge and pool resources on selected activities; externally governed cluster networks are formed to systematically develop cross-cluster ties and competences on and across levels and are brokered by a central intercluster administrative organization as well as several decentralized lead organizations. Our findings show that cluster connectivity can go beyond organization-based pipelines and personal relationships to include clusters as governed entities, albeit with different intensities regarding the brokerage of ties on lower levels.

AB - This paper aims to further our emerging knowledge on the external linkages of regional clusters. We adopt a network governance perspective and study connected clusters as goal-directed, multilevel whole networks that we denote as "cluster networks." Based on an analysis of four empirical cases varying in regional scope, age and industry context, we identify two governance forms: internally governed cluster networks are formed to establish ties among cluster representative organizations to share knowledge and pool resources on selected activities; externally governed cluster networks are formed to systematically develop cross-cluster ties and competences on and across levels and are brokered by a central intercluster administrative organization as well as several decentralized lead organizations. Our findings show that cluster connectivity can go beyond organization-based pipelines and personal relationships to include clusters as governed entities, albeit with different intensities regarding the brokerage of ties on lower levels.

KW - Management studies

KW - regional clusters

KW - cluster connectivity

KW - global pipelines

KW - governance

KW - whole networks

KW - regional development

KW - reional cluster

KW - cluster connectivity

KW - global pipelines

KW - governance

KW - whole netorks

KW - regional development

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84880012167&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - https://www.mendeley.com/catalogue/d09bd523-a433-39cc-9bee-3de371d68d33/

U2 - 10.17169/refubium-24531

DO - 10.17169/refubium-24531

M3 - Journal articles

AN - SCOPUS:84880012167

VL - 20

SP - 357

EP - 377

JO - Industry and Innovation

JF - Industry and Innovation

SN - 1366-2716

IS - 4

ER -