February 4, 2011
Industrial Organization in Canada: Empirical Evidence and Policy Challenges
Edited by Zhiqi Chen and Marc Duhamel
“An innovative collection that looks at industrial policy in present-day Canada”
This new publication includes a chapter by Gaisford, Kerr, Phillips and Ryan on the economic performance of agricultural based clusters in Canada.
Excerpts from article:
“The central policy question is whether governments should go beyond a minimalist policy that removes obstacles to the formation of clusters and engage in more activist incubation or nurturing of clusters. Clearly, policy should be designed to ensure that no regulatory, tax or competition policy barriers inhibit the development of clusters. Beyond this, governments could simply allow market forces to determine the establishment of clusters. Even the minimalist agenda is easier said than done. For example, our analysis of agricultural biotechnology clustering suggests challenges for the management of intellectual property. Overly strict or lax management has the potential to sever the connections that can create inventions and innovations.”
“The mere existence of a cluster cannot be taken as evidence of success. A cluster may be well on the way to depleting its financial assets, while those involved may still believe, or at least act, as if the breakthrough that will make the cluster sustainable is near at hand. The only true measure of success for clusters is evidence of the creation of a number of commercially viable goods or services based on the knowledge arising from the cluster’s activities.”
“Definitions of clusters vary widely depending upon the actors and institutions involved and the strategies that they employ. The national regulatory environment and intellectual property rights regime adds to the complexities of a given cluster. Also, it appears that normative factors such as trust, habits, and conventions may play a supportive role in localised learning and in the flow of codified and tacit knowledge. Thus, clusters are difficult to measure and analyse.”
Paper (0773537899) 9780773537897
Release date: 2011-03-01
CA $39.95
Release date: 2011-03-01
CA $39.95
Pre-order yours today at: http://mqup.mcgill.ca/book.php?bookid=2603
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