Örjan Sölvell

Spatial Clustering, Local Accumulation of Knowledge and Firm Competitiveness

This paper draws together theory on spatial agglomeration of economic activity, innovation processes, and international business to address the phenomena of spatial clustering, accumulation of know...

Organization of the Dynamic Multinational Enterprise : The Home Based and the Heterarchical MNE

Organization of the Dynamic Multinational Enterprise : The Home Based and the Heterarchical MNE

Cross-Border Innovation in the Multinational Corporation : A Research Agenda

Abstract This paper addresses an increasingly debated issue in international business literature: the emergence of cross-border innovation in the multinational corporation. It identifies duplication and diversification of advanced technological capabilities as increasingly important dimensions of the multinational network, and proceeds to investigate how growth along these dimensions has led to the formation of cross-border innovation processes in the multinational corporation. Based on a review of existing empirical studies, we suggest three research avenues to shed further light on innovation processes in the multinational corporation: (1) a more thorough investigation of patterns of knowledge exchange in the multinational network; (2) how these patterns are influenced by industry-, fim-, and technology-related variables; and (3) how cross-border innovation may constitute a significant competitive advantage of the multinational corporation.

Industrial specialization and regional clusters in the ten new EU member states

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide an analysis of regional concentration patterns within ten new European Union (EU) member states, EU10, and make comparisons with EU15 and the US economy.Design/methodology/approach – Industrial specialization and clusters are measured as employment in the intersection between a sector (three‐digit NACE data) and a particular region (NUTS 2 level), with a total of 38 sectors and 41 regions within EU10. Regional cluster size and degree of specialization is measured along 3D: absolute number of employees (>10,000 jobs is used as cut‐off for a regional cluster), degree of specialization (regional sector employment is at least two times expected levels) and degree of regional market labor dominance (>3 per cent of total employment in a particular sector). Each of these three measures of cluster size, specialization and labor market focus are classified with a “star”. The largest and most specialized clusters receive three stars.Findings – EU10 exhibits 19 three...

The Competitive Advantage of Nations 25 years – opening up new perspectives on competitiveness

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to analyze how The Competitive Advantage of Nations project led by Professor Michael E. Porter has opened up new perspectives on competitiveness of nations and firms for scholars, practitioners and policymakers. With the publication of The Competitive Advantage of Nations (CAON) book in 1990, Professor Michael E. Porter opened up a whole new perspective on competitiveness and clusters, including both new research avenues and new perspectives for practitioners and politicians. By questioning the traditional, more static and macroeconomic, views on competitiveness, he opened up for a new model of microeconomic drivers of long-run firm competitiveness. The new conceptual model, the Diamond model, pointed to the importance of healthy rivalry and dynamic clusters, in the proximate firm environment, as central to our understanding of how firms build sustainable competitive advantages in global markets. Design/methodology/approach – Literature review and conceptual. Finding...

Enhancing dynamism in clusters: A model for evaluating cluster organizations’ bridge-building activities across cluster gaps

Purpose This paper empirically aims to examine the relationship between collaboration initiatives of cluster organizations (COs) and improved innovation and financial performance among cluster firms. Moreover, the paper proposes a method for the development of cluster initiatives and evaluating their performance. Design/methodology/approach COs in North Mid Sweden have been studied between 2005 and 2014, where 12 COs have focused on collaboration, ranging from process industries, such as forestry, paper and steel, to tourism and information and computer technology (ICT). A survey method was used to collect data for some 1,000 firms engaging in cluster activities. A new method of analysis, which associates initiatives of COs with cluster members’ innovation and financial performance, has been developed and used in the paper. Findings The paper finds that cluster initiatives (enhancing collaboration across different types of actors in clusters) improve innovation and financial performance among involved cluster firms. But the effect of the cluster initiatives depends, to a large degree, on the policy of the CO. Results show large differences in performance among cluster initiatives, leaving room for the benchmarking and cross-cluster learning. Practical implications The new method proposed in this paper can help to formulate and implement cluster initiatives. Evaluation of COs can be improved through the new method. Originality/value The major contribution of this work is the association of CO initiatives with the performance of cluster member firms. Additionally, this work provides a new statistical instrument for assessing the impact of cluster initiatives on cluster members’ performance.