Industrial cluster development: lessons from the success of the innovative Tasmanian light shipbuilding industry cluster

Abstract

Since the inception of Porter’s Industrial Cluster Theory, there has been considerable debate concerning its ability to provide a useful framework for governments in their effort to develop innovative and internationally competitive industry clusters (see Baptista, 1996; Boddy, 2000; Gordon & McCann, 2000; Lyons, 1995; Yla-Anttila, 1994). The theory, whilst powerful at describing why innovative industry clusters came to exist in different regions throughout the world, was quite weak at providing an analytical basis for the identification of entrepreneurial activity worthy of government support. This research analysed the development of one of Australia’s most successful industry clusters, the Tasmanian Light Shipbuilding cluster, and distilled the positive roles that an Australian state government had therein.