Strategic cluster coupling

Abstract

This conceptual paper aims to theorize about cluster repositioning from a global production network and strategic coupling perspective. As such, strategic coupling focuses on regional economic development by analyzing the matches and mismatches between regional assets, on the one hand, and the needs of the transnational corporations that steer global production networks, on the other hand. In reality, however, most empirical papers using the strategic coupling concept focus on clusters in regional economies and their position in global production networks. This paper, therefore, redesigns the strategic coupling concept into a new concept, which is called strategic cluster coupling. This concept provides an analytical framework for analyzing the relationships between cluster repositioning in global production networks, on the one hand, and the cluster policies needed to support this repositioning process, on the other hand.