Comparison of two cluster life stages in a synthetic knowledge base

ABSTRACT

Knowledge flows in clusters are highly important since they are related to innovation. Types and spatial levels of knowledge sources have been studied by many scholars. This study examines knowledge sources from evolutionary perspective. Evolutionary Economic Geography suggests that regional industries and their dynamics co-evolve. While conceptual and empirical studies argue that network characteristics take different characteristics throughout time, and that knowledge sources are subject to change, little is known about in what way they change in a synthetic knowledge base. In this study, we examined the knowledge sources in a specific knowledge base throughout time. The study was applied to two clusters in Turkey in a synthetic knowledge base yet in different life stages: emergence and maturity. The network structure was analysed by social network analysis, hypotheses were tested by Mann–Whitney U-Tests. The findings show that although network structure and density change through maturity, the types and spatial levels of knowledge sources do not vary between the two life stages, they keep the same characteristics of their knowledge bases.

KEYWORDS:

• Knowledge sources
• cluster life cycle
• synthetic knowledge base
• institutions
• RIS
• evolutionary Economic Geography

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the Association of Izmir cluster and Chamber of Industry in Denizli for providing valuable information about the clusters and their help in organizing interviews. Furthermore, special thanks to all interviewees for their participation and their time.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.