Theory And Practice Of Temporary Clusters

With the deepening of economic globalization and the advent of the third technological revolution, economic activity diffuses worldwide at an unprecedented rate. At the same time, it obviously shows spatial agglomeration in some areas. In the era of knowledge economy, knowledge has been used as an endogenous variable, which plays an increasingly important role in the process of economic growth. Competitive advantage among regions or countries is characterized by the contest of knowledge and technology, where knowledge spillovers, knowledge sharing, research and innovation, and knowledge absorption and utilization become an important source of intrinsic motivation for economic development. In turn, related research has gradually become a focus of various disciplines in academic research. Traditional theory holds that industrial cluster is the important carrier of the firms technological upgrading, business efficiency improving and international competitiveness enhancement, which has the incomparable competitive advantage over non-clustered area. The relationship among firms in the cluster is based on interdependence, mutual cooperation and trust, which contributes to dissemination and application of technology, information and new ideas among firms within the cluster. Advantage of the relationship between corporate networks is based on the formation of permanent social contact, thereby helping enterprises to efficiently collaborate and learn from each other. But what can’t ignore is that this relatively long process will reduce the diversity of innovation and development strategies, and such permanent industrial clusters is facing with the dilemma of knowledge locked. With the argument about endogenous and exogenous development of the permanent industry clusters, temporary clusters such as international fairs and other similar formation produce a greater impact in a short period of time, which causes the attention of economic geographers.The dissertation receives the support from Humanity and Social Science Foundation of Ministry of Education of China (Project of "Network Power and enterprise spatial behavior, corporate innovation"), German Science Foundation (Project of "Research of China’s equipment manufacturing industry innovation network"), Decision Consulting Research Project of Shanghai Government (Project of "The research of open innovation system constructing in Pudong"), and Mid-term Evaluation Projects of "Twelfth Five Year Plan" of Shanghai Pudong (Project of "The assessment of innovative region constructing in Pudong"). In 2010, the research team went to China International Industry Fair (CIIF) with supervisor Pro. Zeng and Pro. Bathelt for the empirical research.133 valid interview records of exhibitors have been made in all. Then the study of knowledge flows, relationship building, and technological innovation of Shanghai temporary clusters continues from the year 2011 to 2013. Base on the in-depth interviews before, a quantitative questionnaire has been designed, and it has been put into the field survey of CIIF in 2013.The existing academic literatures show that, temporary clusters are becoming the new focus in the economic geography research. Comparing with permanent industrial clusters, temporary clusters can overcome the difficulties of knowledge locked and promote the coordination and connection between the local interaction and global networks, and it can linkage coordination, promote the establishment of knowledge exchange and the relationships among different firms from the permanent industry clusters. Temporary clusters are the new platform of mutually beneficial cooperation between firms. Current research on domestic and international temporary clusters have focused on:temporary geographical proximity, knowledge flows and relations platform, location selection and evolution, temporary and permanent industrial clusters, such as the relationship between industry clusters, which have formed some preliminary consensus. Namely:international trade fairs as temporary clusters, whose role is to provide the platform for knowledge flows. Global buzz in trade fairs, enables firms to systematically acquire knowledge from competitors, suppliers and customers, and build persistent knowledge pipeline among firms. At present, firms participating in international trade fairs not only pursue the sales targets, but also pay more attention to the exchange of information among various actors, seeking to establish a potential relationship. However, for the generation of industrial clusters temporary signs, space areas, such as the evolution of the development stage no clearly defined, as well as temporary clusters, is the global buzzer in what specific form of promoting the flow of knowledge, and can lead to technological innovation, there is no explicit characterization of their importance has not yet analyzed and compared, and the lack of research about temporary clusters in China, this dissertation intends to remedy these deficiencies.Based on the evolutionary economic geography and other related industrial cluster theory, this dissertation presents a new analytical framework of temporary clusters, and systematically analyzes the concept, produced signs, spatial areas, influenced factors and the characteristics of each stage of the temporary clusters. By analyzing the international trade fairs in North America (USA, Canada), this dissertation summarizes the characteristics of temporary clusters in the western developed countries. Based on the empirical research of China International Industry Fair in Shanghai, this dissertation explores the issues about knowledge flows, relationship building and technological innovation among various actors. By comparing the temporary clusters in equipment industry in Shanghai with the temporary clusters in equipment industry in western developed countries, this dissertation summarizes the similarities and differences between them. To sum up, the conclusions are as follows:First, temporary clusters are the important complement to the field of industrial clusters. This dissertation defines temporary clusters as the phenomenon that firms engaged in the same or similar industries from different countries or regions, in order to extend their business network and expand industry recognition, exchanging information and knowledge in a short time. In temporary clusters, firms not only seek to achieve sales agreement, but also pay more attention to maintain existing or potential relationship. The exchange of information and knowledge among actors is used to solve the existing problems, search for innovative ideas, forecast industry trends and so on. Similar to permanent industrial clusters, firms in temporary clusters, which characterized by global buzz, have formed the industrial group adjacent and spatial proximity by vertical and horizontal dimension of economic and technological cooperation and competition. In order to avoid the dilemma in permanent industrial clusters, such as knowledge locked and technology locked, temporary clusters are the important complement to the field of industrial clusters.Second, this dissertation presents a new analytical framework of temporary clusters. From the perspective of economic geography, this dissertation proposes the concept, produced signs, spatial areas, influenced factors and the characteristics of each stage of the temporary clusters. The time of the temporary and cyclical and function of knowledge flows, relationship building, sales of light, is the symbol of temporary clusters. The space category performance venue and informal places for temporary clusters at the micro level, in the macro performance for the change of the location of temporary cluster host site. Among them, the organizers(organizers, contractors) comprehensive service location (city, supporting service facilities, transportation, hotel and so on), as well as the basis of(local capacity and enterprise group) are the factors promoting or hindering the development of temporary clusters. Based on the evolutionary theory of economic geography, the development of temporary clusters can be divided into incubation stage, growth stage, mature stage and decline stage. The main characteristics of gestation period are:the target single, vertical linkages; location, close to the consumer market. The main characteristics of growth stage are:longitudinal relationship deepens, lateral connections; non sales knowledge increased, the global channel formation; presenting the information feedback mechanism, highlighting the role of large enterprises; imitation, innovation as a supplement; location selection, close to the economy, industry center. The main characteristics of mature stage are:the behavior subject repeated participation, location dependent prominent; relationship tends to be stable, knowledge fusion degree increased rapidly; the flow of talent. The main characteristics of recession are: policy support to reduce; industry recession, the lack of competition and innovation.Third, the exchange of information, relationship building, directly or indirectly observable, market dynamics are specific forms of global buzz in temporary clusters in equipment industry in Shanghai. The sales role of temporary clusters is being marginalized, replaced by a relationship platform for the exchange of knowledge from which to both horizontal and vertical dimensions of the value chain. On one hand is the formal process of knowledge transmission, that is closely in touch with the official trading, on the other hand they are informal, accompanied by local buzz. An international exposition allows enterprises to establish the "global pipeline":channel cross-regional long-distance apart on a space conducive to knowledge transmission between remote participants. In this dissertation, empirical research in temporary clusters in equipment industry in Shanghai finds in the exchange of information between exhibitors, customers, suppliers, competitors, peers and professional audiences, build relationships, either directly or indirectly observable, access to market dynamics, which are the specific forms of global buzz under special information field.Fourth, this dissertation analyzes the technological innovation path of temporary clusters in equipment industry in Shanghai. In this dissertation, empirical research of temporary clusters in equipment industry in Shanghai finds that the exchange of information between exhibitors, customers, suppliers, competitors, peers and professional audiences, building relationships, directly or indirectly observing, getting market dynamics, through the intermediary role of knowledge flows, will produce a different effect on technological innovation, and will show different effecting paths.Fifth, this dissertation analyzes the regional differences between domestic and foreign temporary clusters in equipment industry. Through comparing the development of domestic and foreign temporary clusters in equipment industry, this dissertation finds some similarities and differences. According to the organizers, the role of government is different from the role of industry associations, governments play a greater role on temporary clusters in equipment industry in China. However, industry associations play a greater role on temporary clusters in equipment industry in western countries. According to global buzz, the specific forms are basically the same. According to technological innovation, domestic and foreign temporary clusters in equipment industry differ in openness and purpose. According to global production networks, both domestic and foreign temporary clusters in equipment industry play an important role.In addition, the spatial expansion of temporary industry clusters, is likely to be the trends in future.