Title: Global value chain reconfiguration through external linkages and the development of newcomers: a global story of clusters and innovation

Authors: Jose-Luis Hervas-Oliver, Jose Albors-Garrigos, Antonio Hidalgo

Addresses: Management Department, Universidad Politecnica de Valencia, Campus vera s/n 46022, Valencia, Spain. ' Management Department, Universidad Politecnica de Valencia, Camino de Vera s/n 46022, Valencia, Spain. ' Department of Business Administration, Universidad Politecnica de Madrid, c/o Jose Gutierrez Abascal, 2, 28006 Madrid, Spain

Abstract: Industrial district literature has focused on local endogenous development. So far, these works analyse the external ties between clusters and the reconfiguration of global value chains (GVC) in the last decade, opening a new research stream to understand innovation and its impact on differing territories. This article analyses intercluster linkages through multinational enterprise (MNE) affiliates that are located in related clusters along the ceramic GVC. Firstly, the paper explores how the clusters within the industry have changed over time and uses a qualitative meta-study approach. Secondly, an explorative analysis is conducted to analyse how MNE and the external linkages MNE affiliates help to connect distant clusters and to diffuse innovation which reshape the GVC although not all the industries and clusters play the same role in reconfiguring GVCs.

Keywords: clusters; innovation diffusion; external ties; MNE subsidiaries; global value chains; GVC; value chain reconfiguration; multinational enterprises; MNEs; MNE affiliates.

DOI: 10.1504/IJTM.2011.041681

International Journal of Technology Management, 2011 Vol.55 No.1/2, pp.82 - 109

Published online: 06 Apr 2013 *

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