From Permanent to Temporary Clusters

Abstract

This chapter examines more temporary forms of coping with geographical distance in economic interaction. It theorizes international trade fairs as temporary clusters and proposes that temporary knowledge circulation during these events serves to initiate networks between permanent clusters, enabling the establishment of global or trans-local knowledge pipelines. It states that international trade fairs are important events which support economic processes of interactive learning and knowledge creation. It discusses how global information and knowledge flows can also be accommodated through computer-mediated communication, and how virtual and temporary global buzz may reinforce one another, providing the basis for new forms of global research, production, or marketing networks in the future.