The Dilemmas of Operationalizing Cluster Policy: The Medical Technology Cluster in the West Midlands

Alex Burfitt, Stewart Macneill and John Gibney

European Planning Studies, 2007, vol. 15, issue 9, 1273-1290

Abstract: “Clusters” have become central to European regional economic development policy. However, concerns have emerged over the content and quality of delivery of cluster-based initiatives. Here we review the implementation of English cluster policy, with a focus on medical technologies in the West Midlands region of the UK. Using a policy streams framework, we seek rapprochement between counter arguments that implementation difficulties are the inevitable results of applying a “fuzzy” concept or are avoidable outcomes of organizational deficiencies. We illustrate how both can contribute to failure at different policy stages and suggest that before adopting a cluster approach more consideration should be given to the institutional capacity required for implementation.

Date: 2007
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DOI: 10.1080/09654310701529284

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