Description
Book SynopsisBringing together a wide range of empirical studies from around the world (Sweden, Norway, Austria, Germany, France, UK, Israel, Russia, China, Taiwan, Argentina, Canada), framed in related contemporary theoretical frameworks, this book examines the question of the significance of proximate vs. more distant relationships for economic agents'' performance and local economic development. While this question has been the subject of intense debates in recent years, it is obvious that proximity and distance are not explanatory factors as such. The book argues for the need to understand the aims of economic relationships, the nature of the regional environment in which they originate, and the scale at which they operate. The book suggests that the notions of diversity, innovativeness, maturity and multiple scales should be incorporated into the debates on the significance of proximity for economic performance.
Trade Review’...students will find a valuable range of case studies presented in a concise, easily accessible, form.’ Geography
Table of ContentsContents: Setting The Stage: Proximity, external relations, and local economic development, Arnoud Lagendijk and Päivi Oinas. 'Localization': Clusters, Industrial Districts, And All That - Evidence and Qualifications: Cultural industry cluster building in Sweden, Dominic Power and Daniel Hallencreutz; Industrial districts in a transitional economy: the case of Datang Sock and stocking industry in Zhejiang, China, Jici Wang, Huasheng Zhu and Xin Tong; Ethnic entrepreneurship and embeddedness: the case of lower Galilee, Michael Sofer and Izhak Schnell; Networking and project organization in the Styrian automotive industry, Franz Tödtling and Michaela Trippl. Establishing External Relations: the Search for Specialized or Diverse Competences?: Supplier search in industrial clusters: Sheffield metal working in the 1990s, H. Doug Watts, Andrew M. Wood and Perry Wardle; Regional clusters building on local and non-local relationships: a European comparison, Arne Isaksen; The evolution of regional packaging machinery clusters in Germany, Ivo Moßig; Glob@lizing the network economy: local advantage for high-technology development, Wen-Cheng Wang; Collaboration, innovation and regional networks: evidence from the medical biotechnology industry of Greater Vancouver, Kevin Rees. Economic Interaction On Multiple Scales: The process of innovation in contrasting industrial environments, Asbjørn Karlsen and Bjarne Lindeløv; Globalization and the dynamics of local embeddedness in the South Hampshire electronics industry, Michael Taylor; Mobility versus embeddedness: the role of proximity in major capital projects, Neil Alderman; Variety of enterprise adaptation strategies in the emerging post-Socialist governance in Vyborg, Riitta Kosonen. Adding Value: Towards understanding proximity, distance and diversity in economic interaction and local development, Päivi Oinas and Arnoud Lagendijk; Index.
