This book provides a comprehensive overview of what Asian industrial clusters might teach us. At a time when the dynamics of the world’s economy are increasingly being influenced by developments in Asia, the question takes on particular relevance because of the explosion of clusters and cluster policies throughout the region; and because of the great variety of models which can be seen developing in the various countries.Based on robust empirical surveys and interviews conducted in China, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia and Japan, the studies collected in this book were first debated at an international workshop in Lyon. From industrial districts to poles of competitiveness, these studies explored the transformation of traditional systems of activities or industrial districts to new networks ready for global competition or innovation, and also the development of new agglomerations or scientific knowledge clusters.The wide range of case studies in this collection offers a rich store of theoretical and practical lessons for analysts, policy-makers and economists. The book will also be a useful guide for graduate students as well as researchers in economics, sociology and political studies.Contents:Overview:From Industrial Districts to Poles of Competitiveness (Bernard Ganne & Yveline Lecler)From an Industrial Policy Approach to an Industrial Cluster Approach: Japan, East Asia and Silicon Valley (Akira Suehiro)Japan: The Japanese Clustering Initiatives Approach:Public Policies in Japan: Industrial Revitalisation, Knowledge Creation and Clustering (Akira Hattori)Development of Industrial Parks by the Japan Regional Development Corporation in the 1990s: Is this a Failure of Regional Development Policy or Industrial Cluster Policy? (Yoichi Sekizawa)From Jibasangyō to Industrial Clusters in Japan: SMEs and Revitalisation Policies (Lecler Yveline & Yamaguchi Takayuki)Competence and Profitability of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises: The Case of Kawasaki SMEs (Mitsuharu Miyamoto)China: The Specificities of Chinese Industrial Clusters: Their Importance and WeaknessesNew Phenomena and Challenges of Clusters in China in the New Era of Globalisation (Jici Wang)The Emergence of Industrial Clusters in Wenzhou, China (Tomoo Marukawa)Understanding the Zhejiang Industrial Clusters: Questions and Re-evaluations (Lu Shi & Bernard Ganne)Distribution System of China’s Industrial Clusters: Case Study of Yiwu China Commodity City (Ke Ding)Post Local State Corporatism: A Case Study of Local Government’s Role in the Development of Industrial Cluster after Privatisation (Jianniu Xu)Interaction and Innovation in Cluster Development: Some Experiences from Guangdong Province, China (Jun Wang)South East Asia: Clusters and the Building of Competitiveness in Emerging Countries: Some Evidence from South East Asia:From Craft Villages to Clusters in Vietnam: Transition Through Globalisation (Quy Nghi Nguyen)The Prevalence of Social Embedding in Vietnamese Industrial Clusters (Stephen J Appold & Quy Thanh Nguyen)From ‘Tradi-cluster’ to ‘Neo-cluster’: First Step for a Typology of Industrial Clusters in Emerging Economies: A Case Study of Thailand (Audrey Baron Gutty, Catherine Figuière & Jean-Christophe Simon)Thailand’s Cluster Initiatives: Successes, Failures and Impacts on National Innovation System (Patarapong Intarakumnerd)‘Penang’s Illustrious Story’ Revisited: Local Authorities, Labour Force and the Multinationals (Elsa Lafaye de Micheaux)Readership: Advanced undergraduate and graduate students in economics, sociology, politics; researchers, business executives.
