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Cluster Development Models: Challenges and Opportunities

Received: 24 June 2015    Accepted: 29 June 2015    Published: 10 July 2015
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Abstract

Clusters are the concentration of homogeneous enterprises producing similar products or providing identical services along with relevant backward and forward linkage enterprises in a particular geographic location sharing common opportunities and threats. Clusters are mainly two types based of their origin i.e. naturally grown and manmade clusters. Cluster development practitioners, experts, stakeholder organizations introduced a long list of cluster development models for guiding a cluster manager into his / her predetermined goal of cluster development. Notable models are provided by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), Cluster Navigator – New Zealand, Cluster Plus – India, TCI Network – USA and European Cluster Observatory etc. None of the above mentioned model is fully implementable in a least developed country like Bangladesh. Bangladesh has limitations in terms of financial ability, technical knowledge, technological and managerial capacity to dedicate resources for cluster development. In Bangladesh enterprises are located at a particular location like cluster; but they do not have interlink either vertically or horizontally with each other. They are not sharing competitive advantages between them rather competing with each other’s. As a result they are not enjoying expected growth by using advantages of a cluster. Therefore authors would like to analyze most of the available cluster development models and offer a new model titled J. M Model for Cluster Development. This model would be pro-poor, flexible and equally effective in any least developed country and developed economies as well. Basically, the model offered here is the result of the experiences of both the authors from needs assessment for cluster development and development initiatives for about thirty heterogeneous clusters located in different districts of Bangladesh. Each of the SME clusters are unique in nature with diverse opportunities and challenges. To address each of the challenge of cluster development the model shall be flexible enough for adopting tailor made intervention as and when required. This model will lead a practitioner into his or her predetermined goal of developing a naturally grown or man-made cluster.

Published in International Journal of Economics, Finance and Management Sciences (Volume 3, Issue 4)
DOI 10.11648/j.ijefm.20150304.15
Page(s) 358-366
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Cluster Development, Model for Cluster Development, Developing SME Clusters, Clustering Techniques, Strategies for Cluster Development

References
[1] Porter, M.E.(2003), the Economic Performance of Regions, Regional Studies, 37, pp. 549-578.
[2] Small and Medium Enterprise Foundation, (2013), SME Clusters in Bangladesh.
[3] Bangladesh Bank, (Undated), Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) Credit Policies & Programmes.
[4] Foundation for MSME Clusters, (2010), Pro-poor Cluster Development Methodology.
[5] Otsuka K. and Sonobe T. (September 2011), 'A Cluster-Based Industrial Development Policy for Low-Income Countries’, GRIPS Discussion Paper 11-09, Tokyo, Japan.
[6] UNIDO, (2006), SME Clusters and Responsible Competitiveness in Developing Countries.
[7] Williams, I.F. (2005), Cluster Development: The How, TCI Annual Conference, Hong Kong
[8] Murali, B.P. Banerjee, S. (2011), Fostering Responsible Behavior in MSMEs in Clusters: Role of Cluster Development Agent, Volume. III, Foundation for MSME Clusters.
[9] Maxwell Stamp Plc. Prepared for the Ministry of Economy, Labor and Entrepreneurship (MELE), and the Central Finance and Contracting Agency (CFCA), Government of the Republic of Croatia, (2013), Guidelines for Cluster Development A Handbook for Practitioners.
[10] World Bank,(2009), Cluster for Competitiveness- A Practical Guide & Policy Implications for Developing Cluster Initiatives
[11] Gamp, T.L. Köcker, G.M. Nerger, M. (2014), Cluster Collaboration and Business Support Tools to Facilitate Entrepreneurship, Cross-sectoral Collaboration and Growth, European Cluster Observatory
[12] Choe, K.Roberts B. (2011), Competitive Cities in 21st Century: Cluster based local economic development, Urban Development Series, ADB
Cite This Article
  • APA Style

    Md. Joynal Abdin, Md. Mizanur Rahman. (2015). Cluster Development Models: Challenges and Opportunities. International Journal of Economics, Finance and Management Sciences, 3(4), 358-366. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijefm.20150304.15

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    ACS Style

    Md. Joynal Abdin; Md. Mizanur Rahman. Cluster Development Models: Challenges and Opportunities. Int. J. Econ. Finance Manag. Sci. 2015, 3(4), 358-366. doi: 10.11648/j.ijefm.20150304.15

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    AMA Style

    Md. Joynal Abdin, Md. Mizanur Rahman. Cluster Development Models: Challenges and Opportunities. Int J Econ Finance Manag Sci. 2015;3(4):358-366. doi: 10.11648/j.ijefm.20150304.15

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  • @article{10.11648/j.ijefm.20150304.15,
      author = {Md. Joynal Abdin and Md. Mizanur Rahman},
      title = {Cluster Development Models: Challenges and Opportunities},
      journal = {International Journal of Economics, Finance and Management Sciences},
      volume = {3},
      number = {4},
      pages = {358-366},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ijefm.20150304.15},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijefm.20150304.15},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijefm.20150304.15},
      abstract = {Clusters are the concentration of homogeneous enterprises producing similar products or providing identical services along with relevant backward and forward linkage enterprises in a particular geographic location sharing common opportunities and threats. Clusters are mainly two types based of their origin i.e. naturally grown and manmade clusters. Cluster development practitioners, experts, stakeholder organizations introduced a long list of cluster development models for guiding a cluster manager into his / her predetermined goal of cluster development. Notable models are provided by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), Cluster Navigator – New Zealand, Cluster Plus – India, TCI Network – USA and European Cluster Observatory etc. None of the above mentioned model is fully implementable in a least developed country like Bangladesh. Bangladesh has limitations in terms of financial ability, technical knowledge, technological and managerial capacity to dedicate resources for cluster development. In Bangladesh enterprises are located at a particular location like cluster; but they do not have interlink either vertically or horizontally with each other. They are not sharing competitive advantages between them rather competing with each other’s. As a result they are not enjoying expected growth by using advantages of a cluster. Therefore authors would like to analyze most of the available cluster development models and offer a new model titled J. M Model for Cluster Development. This model would be pro-poor, flexible and equally effective in any least developed country and developed economies as well. Basically, the model offered here is the result of the experiences of both the authors from needs assessment for cluster development and development initiatives for about thirty heterogeneous clusters located in different districts of Bangladesh. Each of the SME clusters are unique in nature with diverse opportunities and challenges. To address each of the challenge of cluster development the model shall be flexible enough for adopting tailor made intervention as and when required. This model will lead a practitioner into his or her predetermined goal of developing a naturally grown or man-made cluster.},
     year = {2015}
    }
    

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  • TY  - JOUR
    T1  - Cluster Development Models: Challenges and Opportunities
    AU  - Md. Joynal Abdin
    AU  - Md. Mizanur Rahman
    Y1  - 2015/07/10
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    AB  - Clusters are the concentration of homogeneous enterprises producing similar products or providing identical services along with relevant backward and forward linkage enterprises in a particular geographic location sharing common opportunities and threats. Clusters are mainly two types based of their origin i.e. naturally grown and manmade clusters. Cluster development practitioners, experts, stakeholder organizations introduced a long list of cluster development models for guiding a cluster manager into his / her predetermined goal of cluster development. Notable models are provided by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), Cluster Navigator – New Zealand, Cluster Plus – India, TCI Network – USA and European Cluster Observatory etc. None of the above mentioned model is fully implementable in a least developed country like Bangladesh. Bangladesh has limitations in terms of financial ability, technical knowledge, technological and managerial capacity to dedicate resources for cluster development. In Bangladesh enterprises are located at a particular location like cluster; but they do not have interlink either vertically or horizontally with each other. They are not sharing competitive advantages between them rather competing with each other’s. As a result they are not enjoying expected growth by using advantages of a cluster. Therefore authors would like to analyze most of the available cluster development models and offer a new model titled J. M Model for Cluster Development. This model would be pro-poor, flexible and equally effective in any least developed country and developed economies as well. Basically, the model offered here is the result of the experiences of both the authors from needs assessment for cluster development and development initiatives for about thirty heterogeneous clusters located in different districts of Bangladesh. Each of the SME clusters are unique in nature with diverse opportunities and challenges. To address each of the challenge of cluster development the model shall be flexible enough for adopting tailor made intervention as and when required. This model will lead a practitioner into his or her predetermined goal of developing a naturally grown or man-made cluster.
    VL  - 3
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    ER  - 

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Author Information
  • Program Officer, Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Wing, SME Foundation, Dhaka, Bangladesh

  • Assistant Program Officer, Technology Development Wing, SME Foundation, Dhaka, Bangladesh

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