Role of Government in Industrial Clusters

Refereed Paper

Regional Economic Development:
Exploring the ‘Role of Government’ in Porter’s Industrial Cluster
Theory.
Dr Mark Wickham
School of Management
University of Tasmania

Mark Wickham
Locked Bag 16
School of Management
University of Tasmania
Hobart Campus
Sandybay 7005.
Ph: 03 6226 2159
Fax: [phone]
[e-mail]

Dr Mark Wickham works as a lecturer at the University of Tasmania, specialising in the disciplines of Business Strategy and Marketing. Mark’s PhD examined the 25-year relationship between the Tasmanian state government and the Tasmanian light shipbuilding cluster in order to advance a more strategic ‘role of government’ in industrial cluster development. Mark is also interested in researching strategic marketing concepts, particularly those concerning Ethics and Integrated Marketing
Communications.

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CRIC Cluster conference. Beyond Cluster- Current Practices & Future Strategies
Ballarat, June 30-July 1, 2005

Refereed Paper

Regional economic development:
Exploring the ‘role of government’ in porter’s industrial cluster theory.

ABSTRACT
Porter’s Industrial Cluster Theory (ICT) is a theoretical framework that achieved prominence in Australian economic policy development. Despite its widespread adoption, however, Australia has remained significantly below the OECD average in terms of its industrial clusters’ contributions to real wealth creation. In order to understand the positive role that (Australian) governments can play in the development of industry clusters, this paper analyses the 25-year history of the Tasmanian Light
Shipbuilding Industry cluster. This analysis provides an insight into the set of government policy roles that facilitated the development of this internationally competitive industry cluster. This paper also proposes a re-conceptualisation of ICT that will potentially increase its value as a predictive tool for regional economic development. Key words:

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