Vol. 6 Num. 1 - GCG: Revista de Globalización, Competitividad y ...

Entrepreneurial Clusters in China and Mexico –implications for Competitiveness62 2.3. Beneficial impacts of clustersThree distinctive groups of impacts are identified, focusing respectively on local spillovers,the region and its development, and competitiveness. As economies evolve and gain in complexity,there is wide recognition of the advantages derived from locating firms near similarsectors that include supply sources, as they tend to cooperate and increase productivity.Thus, clusters stimulate and allow innovation, productivity, and efficiency; they also have abeneficial impact, facilitate trade, and naturally generate an economic agglomeration. Clustershave an economic impact and are an economic policy tool, among other advantages.1. Agglomeration economiesThe effects of agglomeration economies caused by clusters include the following: concentrationand labor specialized markets; specialization and work division to get scale economies;possibilities of outsourcing; specialization of suppliers; facility to transfer technology,share information, and knowledge; and cheaper transaction costs (OECD, 2001).We can distinguish these agglomeration economies for the operation and technology clusters(Amano, 2006). The advantages of agglomeration economies for the operation clustersinclude low transportation costs, shorter transportation time between the respective stagesof the value chain, economies of scale in the production, quick production launch, promptimitation of innovation, monitoring of the quality of suppliers, and low inventory costs. Theadvantages of agglomeration economies for the technology clusters include an early recognitionof new technology and market opportunities, the creation of new technology throughmany start-ups and technology spillovers, the creation of new products, access to venturecapital, and the specialized pool of human resources.2. Knowledge spilloversRelated to the first aspect – stimulating and allowing to innovate – the existence of a clustergenerates an increase in the perceived opportunities for innovation, in that there is creationof knowledge between the suppliers and institutions, facility of experimentation, and knowledgespillovers (Ketels, 2003). Indeed, there is a general shift in explanatory emphasis fromconsiderations of static cost efficiency towards more dynamic interpretations that highlightthe creation and use of knowledge as their pivotal theoretical element.3. Productivity and efficiencyClusters generate higher level of productivity and efficiency, more specialized assets, efficientaccess to resources, facility to coordination, fast diffusion of better practices, andcomparisons of visible and fast performance that companies can use to improve (Ketels,2003). The existence of clusters to improve the national advantage of certain sectors andSME competitiveness in an industry also causes a region to become more attractive, withmore development and better economic performance, and intensifies the industry-researchcollaboration (Johnston 2003).4. Positive impact in operational performanceIn terms of operational impact, the existence of clusters generates more emphasis on increasingadded value, contributing to an increase in exports, greater support for innovation,development of the supply chain, an increase in jobs, improvement in the business environ-GCG GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY - UNIVERSIA ENERO-ABRIL 2012 VOL. 6 NUM. 1 ISSN: 1988-7116pp: 55-90