Abstract
ABSTRACT In this paper, we investigate the promises that are employed within and around clusters that were formed in the evolving bioeconomy: bioclusters for short. Our paper aims to provide a conceptual clarification of the biocluster concept. To that effect, we employ the prism of sociotechnical imaginaries. We argue that both industrial clusters and the bioeconomy constitute separate, but partly overlapping sociotechnical imaginaries that shape stakeholder attitudes towards bioclusters. We applied a Q-methodology study in two bioeconomy clusters, one in Germany and one in The Netherlands, to investigate the resonance of different imaginaries in the cluster regions. Five distinct narratives, combining specific elements of cluster and bioeconomy imaginaries, are shared by different stakeholder groups. We revealed bioeconomy imaginaries at large to be far more contested than different cluster imaginaries. The latter mobilise overwhelmingly positive associations across diverse stakeholder groups. From this perspective, the popularity of biocluster promotional policies can be explained as they support some of the contested elements of bioeconomy imaginaries in gaining traction.
Highlights
The bioeconomy has come up as a way to promote the production of renewable biological resources and the conversion of these resources and their waste streams into value-added products, such as food, feed, bioplastics, pharmaceuticals, and bioenergy (Brunori, 2013; Diakosavvas & Frezal, 2019)
Factor 1: a good life with sustainability through bioclusters. This narrative is shared by the majority of respondents, representing a broad range of actors: government officials, political actors, environmental non-governmental organisations’ (NGO), innovative SMEs, research and development (R&D) service providers and university professors
We started with the question how local stakeholders combine and translatenational imaginaries of a bioeconomy and clusters
Summary
The bioeconomy has come up as a way to promote the production of renewable biological resources (biomass like wood, plants, and algae) and the conversion of these resources and their waste streams into value-added products, such as food, feed, bioplastics, pharmaceuticals, and bioenergy (Brunori, 2013; Diakosavvas & Frezal, 2019). There are high expectations of the contribution of bioclusters to the transition away from the use of fossil fuels while fostering innovation and rural development (Dietz et al, 2018) Despite their popularity, neither of the two underlying concepts, cluster and bioeconomy, is very well defined. Since relevant stakeholders’ future expectations steer investments and the selection of activities, they deserve strengthened research attention (e.g. Njøs et al, 2020) Against this background, our paper aims to provide a clarification of the biocluster concept by investigating how different stakeholders interpret and value the different elements, meanings and promises. Respondents from two different clusters, one in the Netherlands and one in Germany, have been asked to sort statements representing elements of deconstructed imaginaries Statistical analysis of these sorts serves to identify different shared narratives of different groups of actors. The paper ends with a discussion on the implications of findings for (bio)cluster theory and practice
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