New perspectives on the evolution of clusters

The literature on clusters is based on the seminal writings of Marshall, followed by Becattini’s rediscovery of the concept of the ‘industrial district’ and the analyses promoted during the 1980s by Porter, who highlighted the importance of geographically interconnected firms and institutions specialized in a particular field and clustered in a limited space. Although the cluster model is often described as being static and locally self-contained, various empirical studies and our analysis have pointed out the increasing involvement of cluster firms in the process of change, renewal and internationalization. In this context, several modalities may be studied within the cluster life cycle – which proceeds from the process of multinational enterprise (MNE) entry to the development of global value chains and to the emergence of homegrown MNEs – in addition to possible alliances between cluster firms and external MNEs. The recent entry of MNEs in clusters, as well as the phenomenon of homegrown MNEs, do not necessarily require a questioning of the cluster model per se, but they do contribute to showing how complex and interwoven the evolution of local economies is. A rich number of empirical cases will be presented in this review.