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Abstract
In this article, we study how the configuration of a publicly promoted clusters policy—the Global Clusters policy initiated
by the Walloon Government in Belgium—influenced the behaviors of R&D practitioners. At first, we explored the background of
the Global Cluster policy in an effort to make the program configuration visible. This first step was conducted through the
gathering and analysis of data from official documents as well as publications, conference speeches and workshops produced
by policy makers, evaluators and their academic collaborators. Then, we observed the transmission of the six resulting features
from the policy level to the project level: we studied their appropriation by R&D practitioners in “Mirage”, an R&D project associated to the mechanical engineering Global Cluster. As a result, we show that the particularities of
Walloon Global Clusters make them a powerful instrument to enhance collateral assets while facing potential lock-in. We finally
consider the way these Global Clusters should evolve to favor the exploitation of the emerged outcomes while exploring future
opportunities. A good balance between exploitation and exploration as well as adequate networking and clustering instruments
to support both objectives appear necessary to ensure sustainability and growth of the involved actors.
- Content Type Journal Article
- Pages 1-22
- DOI 10.1007/s10961-010-9203-6
- Authors
- Julie Hermans, Louvain School of Management, Campus of Namur (FUNDP), Rempart de la Vierge no. 8, B-5000 Namur, Belgium
- Annick Castiaux, Louvain School of Management, Campus of Namur (FUNDP), Rempart de la Vierge no. 8, B-5000 Namur, Belgium
- Marcus Dejardin, Department of Economics, CERPE-FUNDP-University of Namur, Namur, Belgium
- Stéphane Lucas, Research Center for the Physics of Matter and Radiation (PMR), LARN-FUNDP-University of Namur, Namur, Belgium
- Journal The Journal of Technology Transfer
- Online ISSN 1573-7047
- Print ISSN 0892-9912