Knowledge systems and technological dynamism in industrial clusters in developing countries

Research on industrial clusters in developing countries is increasingly concerned with how their competitiveness evolves and changes over time. This article shows what analytical shifts are needed to unravel the technological underpinnings of clusters' longer-term competitiveness. Building upon an understanding of technological learning in large-scale firms, we stress the need to focus on systems of knowledge accumulation, rather than just production systems. With this in mind, future research should investigate clusters' active capabilities for generating and diffusing knowledge, and their openness to external sources of knowledge. A conceptual framework to guide investigation of these aspects of cluster knowledge-systems is presented. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.