What Are Clusters?

Clusters are geographic concentrations of interconnected companies and institutions in a particular field. Clusters encompass an array of linked industries and other entities important to competition (Porter 1998).

Clusters extend downstream to customers and laterally to manufacturers of complementary products and to companies in industries related by skills, technologies, or common inputs.

Clusters include governmental and other institutions - such as universities, think tanks, vocational training providers, and trade associations - that provide specialized training, education, information, research, and technical support (Porter 1998).

Geographically concentrated networks and value chains of suppliers and/or knowledge institutes with the aim of developing innovations. (Hospers and Beugelsdikj, 2002)

A Powerpoint Presenatation on Economic Clusters by Michael C. Carroll & Neil Reid

The Maumee Valley Growers is now registered with The Competitiveness Institute (TCI). TCI is a not-for-profit alliance of cluster practitioners. TCI's mission is to improve living standards and the local competitiveness of regions throughout the world, by fostering cluster-based development initiatives. TCI's membership base is more than 500 leading practitioners from all levels of governments, Academia and from the private sector, coming from more than 50 countries. By sharing knowledge and experience members gain access to leading insights and expertise and the most recent global developments in competitiveness theory.