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

Chapter 2 - Clusters as Unit of Analysis 11
business unit is meant. Associations and public (-private) organizations can also be included
in the cluster population. Associations can be defined as ‘organizations that provide a host
of collective support services to member firms’ (see McEvily and Zaheer, 1999).
Fourth, the cluster population consists of related business units, associations and public
(-private) organizations. Business units are included in the population if they have relatively
strong (potential) economic links with one or more other business units in the population 4 .
Associations are included in the cluster population if the majority of their members are
included in the cluster population and public (-private) organizations are included if they are
strongly linked to firms in the cluster. Because linkages are central in the definition of
clusters, clusters are populations of competing and complementary firms.
Fifth, the cluster population is centered around a particular economic specialization. This
specialization is mentioned in most cases in the name given to the cluster, such as ‘the
shipbuilding cluster’ (Van Klink and De Langen, 2001) and the ‘footwear cluster’ (Rabelotti
and Schmitz, 1999). A focus on a distinctive economic specialization is necessary to define
cluster borders, because in principle, chains of economic linkages are endless. Unless a
core is defined, it is impossible to isolate a component of that chain.
2.3 Constructing clusters
Clusters are constructs. Clusters have no natural borders, because clusters are by no
means ‘isolated islands’ (see Staber, 1996) in the economy. Linkages between firms
inevitably cross cluster borders. As a consequence cluster borders are to some extent
arbitrary. Scientists, policy makers and industry professionals construct the ‘borders’ of a
cluster 5 . Even though cluster borders are inevitably to some extent arbitrary, it is important
to provide a method to delimit clusters. A precise delimitation is a step forward, since it
4 A firm in a cluster has linkages with some, but certainly not all other firms in the cluster.
Conceptually, when linkages are absent, firms are ‘potentially linked’: when opportunities arise,
relations will develop relatively easy, because search costs for partners in the cluster are low.
5 Constructing a cluster can be useful -for scientists because analyzing clusters enhances the
understanding of economic processes, for policy makers because clusters can provide a basis
for economic policies, and for industry professionals because clusters can become platforms for
effective coordination and cooperation.