Proximity Relations and Firms’ Innovative Behaviours: Different Proximities in the Optics Cluster of the Greater Paris Region

Proximity relationships and entrepreneurship: some reflections based on an applied case study

“…The work is based on previous and more elaborated studies on this topic (see Boufaden et al, 2009;Torre, Lourimi, 2013), and the only goal is to assess the complementarity of the various proximity schemes and to reveal how firms elaborate complex strategies in order to manage both local and distant relations by means of face to face relations, mobility and virtual exchanges. The case is the one of the optics and photonics industry in the Ile de France area: about half of the French-based industry and research entities in optics and photonics can be found in this location 1 , namely approximately 556 firms with more than 16 700 employees and 103 public research teams (more than 5000 employees), thus forming a very large cluster dedicated to these activities.…”