Isabelle Leroux

Proximities and Logics Underlying Cluster Dynamics: The Case of the Ornamental Horticulture Cluster in Maine-et-Loire

While the issue of cluster dynamics has been poorly addressed in the literature, they actually display different levels of adaptability to change and different levels of collaboration. This contribution aims to address this theoretical issue through recourse to the literature on proximity. We analyse the modalities of coordination of organizations within clusters for the creation of localized specific assets. This paper develops the idea that cluster dynamics are governed by two relational logics: a professional and a historic. We show that those logics, each having positive and negative impacts on cluster dynamics, give rise to different ways of mobilizing categories of proximity as well as different ways of articulating them. Our case study shows that a major issue for clusters consists in combining both logics for building enduring competitive assets while staying able to adapt to changing competitive conditions.