Local game, global rules: exploring technological heterogeneity exploitation in digital creative cluster evolution

Abstract

Cluster evolution research suggests that maintaining an optimal technological heterogeneity that is exploitable by cluster actors is key to sustainable cluster development. This paper argues that exploring this optimal span and its influence on local synergy creation calls for understanding the interaction between cluster actions, local conditions for collaboration, and heterogeneity requirements over time. For this purpose, a longitudinal case study is conducted, tracing the development of a digital creative cluster that has experienced the initiation, rise, and decline of local technological heterogeneity exploitation. By applying institutional logics as a sensitising device, the analysis explores how actors interact with local and theme structures in this process. Findings show how hub-firms draw on creative norms and technologies to produce situated heterogeneity requirements. These are assessed with co-location factors and accumulated experience of local collaboration to produce local organising rationales that guides decisions to engage in local collaboration.

Keywords:

• Cluster evolution
• creative industries
• network dynamics
• institutional logics