Specialization of and complementarities between (new) knowledge clusters in the Frankfurt/Rhine-Main urban region

Kati Volgmann and Angelika Münter

Regional Studies, Regional Science, 2018, vol. 5, issue 1, 125-148

Abstract: This paper contributes to the discussion about the driving forces behind the polycentric restructuring of urban regions involving a centripetal process of metropolization and a centrifugal process leading to a regionalization of cities. Using the Frankfurt/Rhine-Main urban region in Germany as an example, it analyzes how these processes are manifested in the regional spatial structure. Two different empirical explorations are applied to reveal the spatial distribution and clustering of (1) knowledge-based industry (KBI) firms on a locational scale and (2) the sectoral specializations of and complementarities between the identified clusters. On the one hand, the identified traditional and new KBI clusters mirror the region’s traditional polycentric structure; on the other, the Frankfurt central business district stands out as the definite hotspot for KBI activities within the region. Thus, metropolization processes turn out to be the dominant driver of urban restructuring. Regarding the latter, the analysis shows that new KBI clusters frequently demonstrate strong monofunctional specialization and tend to complement and relieve traditional central business districts with regard to specific types of KBI activities, particularly in high-technology manufacturing and related high-technology knowledge-intensive services.

Date: 2018
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DOI: 10.1080/21681376.2018.1452630

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