The Performance of Seaport Clusters - RePub - Erasmus Universiteit ...

136
10.6 Conclusions: cluster structure and performance
The Performance of Port Clusters
Table 46 summarizes the most important conclusions on the relation between the structure
of a cluster and the performance of that cluster.
Table 46: Research findings on structure and performance in clusters
Issue Research finding
Agglomeration
economies
Internal
competition
The presence of customers and suppliers is the most important agglomeration force.
The quality of the labor pool is important, but not, as suggested in theories, a force
towards agglomeration in all port clusters, because of high wages and strong labor unions.
In general, agglomeration economies are regarded as stronger than the diseconomies.
Thus, seaport clusters have the potential to attract port related firms.
Internal competition contributes to the performance of port clusters, first of all because
monopoly pricing is prevented.
Even when there is no threat of monopoly pricing, because external competition is fierce,
internal competition is desirable because it fosters specialization and innovation.
In cargo handling and some port services, internal competition is limited or even absent.
Cluster barriers Start-up and entry barriers have a negative effect on cluster performance. The
inaccessibility of networks, as a result of a relatively closed port community is the most
important barrier for entry.
Exit barriers reduce performance. However, their effect on the performance of port clusters
is minor. The inability to recover port specific investments is the only relevant exit barrier.
Heterogeneity The positive effects of heterogeneity on performance are validated by the survey results
and interviews.
Diversity of international scope is the most important dimension of diversity.
Rotterdam is a diverse cluster; the LMPC is not diverse.