Clusters and Regional Innovation: Case of the Robotics Industry in the Dongnam Area in Korea

Abstract

This thesis investigates the key factors of clusters and the relationship between clusters and regional innovation in the robotics industry in the Dongnam Area in Korea. The key purpose of this study is to identify the existence of spatial concentration in the Dongnam area and analyse the driving forces for clusters and the cooperative interaction mechanism between innovative actors. In addition, it will assess the innovative performance caused by geographical proximity and industrial linkages, and provide policy guidance for facilitating the innovative milieu of clusters, focusing on industrial robotics in the Dongnam area. This study examined three main themes of existing theories of proximity, interactive linkages and innovation. Under these aims, three major research questions are drawn: Why has the robot industry emerged in Dongnam? How does the cooperative/competitive mechanism operate amongst the actors in Dongnam? What is the effect of the agglomeration and interactive mechanism on firms' innovation? For this purpose, a survey was conducted targeting robotics firms and client firms, which included interviews with firms, research organisations including universities, and supporting organisations. The key finding of this research, is that the main driving forces of clusters are skilled labour for the middle level of robotics technology, and related industries or clients located near the robotics firms. In addition, the leading firms and the knowledge spillover mechanism on the cooperative linkages are also important factors for clusters. However, in terms of geography, the discrepancy of economies and innovative milieu between the metropolitan and local areas, and the distrust between providers and purchasers in terms of functional linkages, are likely to cause major problems for the development of robotics clusters in the future in the Dongnam area. This means the Dongnam area has both strengths and weaknesses for clusters growth, which is why the major co-relationship of innovation and geography or functional linkages is not found; this also helps to explain the less innovative milieu and the emerging clusters in areas like Dongnam. As a result, in order to overcome these disadvantages, the firms' in-house sources of innovation and backward linkages in vertical rather than horizontal linkages are relatively important factors for innovation. In addition, these factors are mainly concentrated in the Dongnam area, which shows the importance of region in clusters activity.

Date of Award	22 Mar 2011
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	The University of Manchester