Jesús M. Valdaliso

Social capital, internationalization and absorptive capacity: The electronics and ICT cluster of the Basque Country

This article analyses the case of a successful young high technology cluster in an old industrialized European region, the electronics and information and communications technology cluster in the Basque Country (Spain). Based on the findings of this case study, we propose that social capital and internationalization play an important role in increasing the absorptive capacity of clusters (thus, the capacity of a cluster to absorb, diffuse and creatively exploit extra-cluster knowledge), and hence, in sustaining their growth and dynamism. Absorptive capacity depends on the capacity of firms to establish intra- and extra-cluster knowledge linkages. We put forward in this article the fact that social capital fosters intra-cluster knowledge linkages, and clusters internationalization the extra-cluster knowledge ones. Therefore, social capital and internationalization are key elements to increase the absorptive capacity of a cluster and its growth. Given the accumulative, path- and place-dependent nature of social capital and knowledge creation and accumulation, we employed a largely qualitative and historical analysis, combining statistical and qualitative cluster data and interviews with key actors.

Cluster Life Cycles, Path Dependency and Regional Economic Development: Insights from a Meta-Study on Basque Clusters

In this study, we aim at evaluating the role of path-dependent and past-dependent forces in the historical trajectory of clusters. For that purpose, we study the life cycles of four of the main industrial clusters in the Basque Country (paper-making, electronics and information and communication technology, maritime industries and aeronautics) and analyse the factors that account for the origin, development, maturity and, if so, decline of those clusters, considering factors related to both cluster dynamics and the regional environment. Our analysis shows that the existence of a life cycle does not imply a straightforward growth path. Clusters follow multiple growth patterns in their development. The heterogeneity of growth patterns may be, in some cases, due to different initial conditions. However, despite similar initial conditions and/or resource endowments and opportunities for development, we can observe heterogeneous evolutionary patterns. Clusters react differently to the same external shocks (e.g. international demand, global competition and technological change) and evolve differently according to their capabilities.

Path dependence in policies supporting smart specialisation strategies

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to apply the path dependence theoretical framework to STI policies that support research and innovation strategies for smart specialisation (RIS3). Design/methodology/approach – Review of the recent literature on the phases, sources of reinforcement and change mechanisms (layering, conversion, recombination, etc.) present in path-dependent processes, as well as the role played by mental frameworks, political agents and power relations; and its illustration and testing over 30 years of STI policy development in the Basque Country. Findings – How to operationalise the analysis of continuity and change of STI policies supporting RIS3 policies characterised by path dependence processes. Likewise, learnings from the analysis of Basque case regarding the types of challenges that European regions will face as they design their RIS3, according to their degree of maturity in STI policies. Originality/value – It is the first time that the recently developed tools for analysis ...

Grupos empresariales, marco institucional y desarrollo económico en España en el siglo XX: los negocios de la familia Aznar (c. 1937-c. 1983)

Este trabajo ofrece los primeros resultados de un proyecto de investigacion que intenta analizar las relaciones entre los grupos empresariales, el marco institucional y el desarrollo economico en Espana en el siglo XX a partir de una perspectiva microeconomica, un analisis historico-institucional comparado y unas fuentes de naturaleza privada. A partir del estudio de los negocios de la familia Aznar desde 1937, fecha en la que se hace con el control de las empresas del anterior grupo Sois y Aznar, hasta 1983, cuando se produce la quiebra de la empresa mas importante del grupo, la Naviera Aznar, se hara hincapie, sobre todo, en las consecuencias que una organizacion industrial basada en grupos empresariales y un marco institucional caracterizado por el intervencionismo extremo y la discrecionalidad del Estado tuvo sobre las capacidades y la competitividad de las empresas y las industrias y, por extension, sobre el modelo de desarrollo economico de Espana durante el franquismo y la transicion.

The Rise of Specialist Firms in Spanish Shipping and Their Strategies of Growth, 1860 to 1930

Spanish shipping firms relied on various strategies to direct the growth of their industry from 1860 to 1930. The diffusion of specialist shipowners during the second half of the nineteenth century was the result of both an increasing demand for maritime transport and a heavy rise in capital requirements owing to improvements in technology. During the first third of the twentieth century, some of these specialized firms became large companies through internal growth and/or horizontal combination. They achieved their gains without resorting to formal vertical integration, choosing instead to build social networks with other shipowners based on trust and loyalty. This approach allowed them to create intermediate arrangements, thereby diminishing transaction costs. When strategies of formal vertical integration were adopted, they primarily involved activities similar to shipping, such as ship brokering, consignment, stevedoring, and other maritime services. To document these trends, this article analyzes the organizational structure of Spains twenty largest shipping concerns.

La transición de la vela al vapor en la flota mercante española: cambio técnico y estrategia empresarial

En Espana los pocos trabajos que analizan la transicion de la vela al vapor en la flota mercante espanola lo hacen en terminos de fracaso y decadencia. Sin embargo, esa impresion no concuerda bien con las magnitudes cuantitativas internacionales disponibles que situan a la flota mercante espanola como una de las primeras en cuanto al grado de difusion del buque de vapor en las tres ultimas decadas del siglo XIX. El objetivo de este articulo es analizar el proceso de cambio tecnico, institucional y organizativo de la marina mercante espanola durante la segunda mitad del siglo xix y la estrategia empresarial de los navieros espanoles ante el mismo.

Do clusters follow the industry life cycle

Purpose – This paper aims to examine whether in old industrial regions, the trajectory of clusters follows that of their corresponding industry or deviates from it and which are the factors that account for cluster evolution. This paper deals with the issue of how established clusters either renew or transform themselves in such regions and how they adapt to changes in their corresponding international industries. Design/methodology/approach – This research paper draws from in-depth case studies on six industrial clusters, takes a longitudinal perspective and uses a multi-level and qualitative analysis. Based on existing literature, the paper suggests and exploratory analytical framework with four alternative scenarios for cluster evolution and three broad factors: cluster knowledge base, social capital at cluster and region-level and public policies. Findings – Clusters do not always follow the life cycle of its dominant industry. The paper clearly shows a diversity of cluster evolution across clusters a...

Measuring structural social capital in a cluster policy network: insights from the Basque Country

ABSTRACT Cluster Associations (CAs) attempt to promote competitiveness through inter-firm collaboration, and are generally seen as drivers of social capital formation in the region. We map in this paper, by using Social Network Analysis, the cluster policy network of the Basque Country in 2013, which may be considered a proxy of the structural dimension of social capital in the region. Besides, we identify the central agents of this network and attempt to explain the reasons for their centrality and the roles that they play. We take the affiliation of an organization to at least two CAs as a first indicator of the overall pattern of connections within the cluster policy network. Later on, we filter it with data about the Boards of Directors of CAs, and the Basque Contact Points created to concur with the Seventh Framework Programme for Research launched by the European Commission. We contend that those organizations that are present in these three networks form a ‘small world’ that numerous studies have shown to be favourable for creative output, where they might play a dual role of gatekeepers of knowledge and innovation within and between clusters and drivers of bridging social capital formation in the Basque Country.

Public policies and cluster life cycles: insights from the Basque Country experience

ABSTRACT This paper contributes to the study of the role of public policies in the origins and evolution of clusters. Building on the existing literature, we set up a taxonomy of nine public policies that may have an impact on the emergence and evolution of clusters. Based on in-depth case studies of six clusters of the Basque Country, particularly representative of the industrial history of the region, we analyse the relevance of the different types of policies both in the emergence and evolution of clusters over time. In agreement with cluster literature, the paper concludes that public policies seem to have played only an indirect role across clusters and over their life cycles. Moreover, it points to the necessity of taking history and context into account, as most of the important policy measures highlighted by cluster literature today do not fit well with the previous policy and economic context. Finally, it also concludes that for cluster policies to be effective, the stages of the life cycle should be taken into consideration.

Academic Institutions as Change Agents for Territorial Development.

There is increasing interest in the role academic institutions can play as catalysts of change within the territories in which they are located, by contributing proactively to shaping socio-economic development processes. This role for universities takes us beyond the typical focus on knowledge transfer activities or broad economic impacts. It highlights in particular the contributions of ‘softer’ disciplines such as management, economics, the humanities and public policy. This paper explores this proactive strategic role for academia in regional development by means of an analysis of a particular case of institutional entrepreneurship in the Basque Country region of Spain. The telling of such stories is critical if we are to reach a better understanding of the impact universities can have in their regions beyond a quantitative, market-focused analysis.