External relations of an Industry 4.0 cluster: the case study of the Hamburg aviation cluster

Abstract

In many studies conducted so far, cluster external relations tend to be perceived as identical to internationalisation. Yet, the relevance of such external linkages is conditioned on the context. At this point, the relations between the internationalisation of the cluster and the processes of stretching, especially hubbing, should be precisely defined. The article emphasizes the difference between internationalisation understood in terms of foreign expansion of cluster members through export or FDI (Pietrobelli & Rabellotti 2011; Belussi & Hervás-Oliver 2017; Dhandapani et al., 2015; Colovic &Lamotte, 2014) and hubbing considered as "scale extension" (Njøs et al., 2017). Internationalisation typically embraces foreign expansion by constituting firms (export or OFDI activities) and hosting foreign investors (IFDI) with specialised CO assisting these relations. Hubbing can be associated with inter-clustering (Lorenzen & Mudambi, 2015; Goerzen, 2018) and is regarded as a way of growing geographical coverage.According to Franco & Esteves (2018), interclustering implies knowledge exchange and learning i.e., inter-organizational relations that affect competitiveness (Schüßler et al., 2013; Cusin & Loubaresse, 2018). Extension processes can also be seen as the acquisition of different types of knowledge from different geographical scales, which can be achieved through various mechanisms (Bellandi, et al., 2018). Hubbing means that the cluster creates new nodes outside its original geographical area and promotes establishing non-regional relations with external specialised entities which allude to the 'global pipelines' concept as a driving force for innovation (Bathelt et al., 2004; Malerba, 2002). Hubbing means geographical expansion of cluster links i.e., increasing geographic areas of influence (Njøs & Jakobsen, 2016). Thanks to hubbing, a cluster can create "satellites" or "nodes" in relevant national and international environments. These extra-regional networks can stimulate innovation, learning and development, but can also be challenging and encourage to maintain the local momentum.

The role of clusters in advancing Industry 4.0 solutions: insights from the Polish automotive context

“…In addition, industrial clusters tend to have a high density of small- and medium-sized enterprises, which often have limited resources to invest in innovation and digitalisation. However, being part of an industrial cluster can provide them access to shared resources such as technology and knowledge and allow them to collaborate with larger companies and research institutions (Baum and Oliver, 1991; Götz, 2023).…”

“…While studies on the co-evolution of clusters and I4.0 remain fragmented and patchy (Castelo-Branco et al , 2019; Balland and Boschma, 2021a, 2021b; Lund and Vildåsen, 2022; Hervas-Oliver et al , 2020), recent research has begun to address the spatial and organisational aspects of the fourth industrial revolution (Fraske, 2022). However, the literature predominantly focuses on advanced Western European countries such as Germany, Spain and Italy (Götz, 2023; Hervas-Oliver et al , 2020; Balland and Boschma, 2021a, 2021b). The literature on I4.0 in other countries, including Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries and post-transition economies like Poland, is rapidly developing but mainly concentrates on place-neutral issues like social aspects or technological challenges (Zakrzewska-Bielawska and Staniec, 2020).…”