How proximity matters in innovation networks dynamics along the cluster evolution. A study of the high technology applied to cultural goods

Abstract

The role of proximity in innovation and inter-organisational networks has recently received increasing attention in management, organisational, economic geography and regional studies. Despite the rich literature devoted to these themes, most contributions on networks are mainly static, as they focus more on the network's structure than its dynamics. Our aim is to investigate the role of various forms of proximity in innovation network dynamics along the cluster evolution. The article focuses on two specific research questions: (i) How do the different forms of proximity influence the formation of innovation networks? and (ii) Does the impact of different forms of proximity change during the cluster's evolution?The analysis investigates the cluster of High Technology applied to Cultural Goods in Tuscany and adopts an advanced econometric method such as the Stochastic Actor-Oriented Models to investigate the evolution of the networks over a time period of more than ten years.