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This paper aims to show the possibilities of implementing the idea of sustainability in the context of energy transformation using the concept of an industrial cluster. The implementation of the idea of sustainability is of particular importance from the perspective of the functioning of the meta-organisations involved in the implementation and promotion of decarbonisation processes. Industrial clusters, as collective actors initiating collective actions and providing complex governance structures, seem to have a great fit with regard to the needs of disseminating and implementing the idea of sustainable development, also in conjunction with energy development.

Empirical evidence is derived from a case study of Mazovia Clustes ICT (MC ICT). Based on the experience of this cluster, this study wants to show the evolution of the industrial cluster through the prism of its growing activity in supporting energy transition. The authors conducted the research in the period 2022–2023 using in-depth personal interviews and an analysis of the secondary data. The primary technique for data analysis and interpretation was conventional qualitative content analysis.

As a result of this study, the authors have distinguished three main areas of cluster activity covering the strategic, operational/project and institutional levels. Within the first area, the cluster’s efforts focused on the development of a strategy and involvement in lobbying and co-legislating. The second area refers to the cluster’s activity in the carrying out of national and transnational projects on the creation and implementation of various energy solutions. The activities undertaken in the third area include support for the development of start-ups in the field of energy and involvement in the launch of an energy cluster and the development of distributed energy in Poland. Although the strategic and operational/project levels are characterised by a commonality of activities and goals, there is additionally a commonality of interests at the institutional level.

This paper has its limitations, which primarily relate to the small research sample (the choice of a case study as the main research strategy) and the methods used (qualitative research). Therefore, it is impossible to generalise the results to the entire population of clusters.

This paper has considerable practical value, as the results of this study may be relevant for public authorities interested in implementing energy transition through industrial clusters. The activities described can also be a source of inspiration for other clusters interested in shaping pro-environmental attitudes.

The cluster’s activities are closely linked to the three pillars of sustainable development, including the social pillar. The solutions developed within the cluster in the context of energy development are aimed not only at increasing energy efficiency and protecting the environment but also at broader social welfare.

This paper makes an additional contribution to the state-of-the-art of the industrial cluster concept by linking it to the idea of sustainable development, in the context of energy transformation. In addition, it sheds new light on issues related to cluster co-operation, combining the case of the industrial cluster with the very fresh and as yet poorly described idea of the energy cluster.

To survive in the global economy small and medium enterprises (SMEs) have to improve their products and processes exploiting their intellectual capital in a dynamic network of knowledge‐intensive relations inside and outside their borders. By erasing traditional constraints to SMEs innovation ability and leveraging their flexibility and responsiveness, Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) provide SMEs with opportunities for Knowledge Management (KM) today in most cases largely unexploited. Focusing on the area of Product Innovation (PI) and drawing evidence from the analysis of a multiple‐case study on 47 Italian SMEs, patterns in the adoption and use of new ICT tools are explained in relation both to Contingencies and to KM internal processes. Complexity at both product and system levels, emerges as a key factor driving technological choices. Three different KM configurations emerge in relation to ICT approaches. Implications of this study are relevant for both SMEs managers and ICT developers/vendors.

This paper proposes the concepts of communities of enterprise (CoEs) and virtual communities of enterprise (VCoEs) to describe business networking patterns in regional areas where there is no central organisational or industry focus and small and medium enterprises dominate the economy.

Based on analysis of the literature this paper builds on theoretical understandings of knowledge management, clustering and regional development.

The concept of CoEs is most appropriate for regional areas characterised by many small enterprises in diverse industries. CoEs enhance development of regional clusters by contributing to their intellectual capital, innovation culture, value networks and social capital. The incorporation of information and communication technologies (ICT) creates VCoEs which provide added potential by enabling regions to expand their learning potential through innovation.

This paper provides a conceptual foundation for empirical research into regional network or cluster development using ICT.

VCoEs value creation potential is substantial but only when the socioeconomic elements of regional clusters are understood. The VCoE approach addresses the fact that without an industry focus it can be difficult to engage and link small and medium enterprises (SMEs) from different industries, although this is where the greatest potential for value creation in regional clusters is to be found.

The VCoEs concept specifically addresses the unique requirements of SMEs in regions. It has the potential to provide value for regions in a way few ICT based regional development initiatives have been able to achieve.

This chapter summarizes existing empirical literature on German gazelles and draws on a large new sample of high-growth firms for a description of the regional and sectoral distribution of gazelles in Germany. In addition, the regional distribution of gazelles is juxtaposed with the occurrence of regional cluster initiatives. In sum, our results are in line with major former findings. We find gazelles in all sectors and many regions with some specificities for young and urban gazelles. We do not find significantly more gazelles in regions, though, which pursue a targeted cluster policy. Finally and consequently, we call for more granular studies on types and characteristics of gazelles in the future.

The purpose of this research paper is to examine managers' careers, describe and compare career paths between the two most important business sectors in Finland: ICT industry and paper industry. The main research question of this study is: how do the managers construct their careers in ICT and the paper business sectors? Attempts to find out if there exists some regularity in how their careers unfold in these different working environments. What are the main factors in manager's life that direct their careers? Do they differ depending on the business sector? These questions are approached with the help of metaphors, career anchors and career ladders.

The primary research data were gathered in 2002 by interviews in Finnish ICT and paper companies where 30 managers were interviewed. The interviews were held in three companies from ICT sector and three companies from paper industry. Every interview used also a short questionnaire concerning career anchors.

According to the research data there can be noticed three types of career paths. These paths are path of a general manager, specialist and project manager. The career in both sectors begins in a position of specialist then directs towards one of these three paths. When comparing eight career anchors between ICT and paper sectors it was surprising that the greatest difference between the sectors existed concerning the security/stability anchor. Secure employment and compensation were more important to ICT managers than to paper managers. Security and stability matters seemed to be more self‐evident for the paper managers.

The research group consisted of only 30 managers and, therefore, no generalizations to a more extensive group of managers can be made. This paper concerned only two business sectors. The results of this paper cannot be transferred directly to other business sectors.

This approach can be useful in the area of career research. For example, it has already benefited a career research concerning women ICT professionals. This paper can also benefit managers in ICT and paper sectors.

This paper cover enlighten career researchers about the importance of the business sector.

The purpose of this paper is to: first, divide external knowledge into different levels and understand how these different levels of external knowledge create different knowledge networks. Second, explore the relation among different levels of external knowledge, different types of knowledge and their influences on innovation. Different types of knowledge may act as mediators between different levels of external knowledge and innovation performance are also discussed. Third, further explicate the possible reasons behind the phenomena observed in the first and second objectives.

The quantitative and qualitative research methods were adopted in this study. In terms of the quantitative research method, data were collected from 157 information and communications technology (ICT) companies in Zhangjiang. There were 38 interviews carried out using the qualitative research method. Interviewees included 26 directors from the Zhangjiang ICT chip companies and 12 directors from China’s domestic mobile phone manufacturing sector.

This study finds out that the source of external knowledge in the Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park is mostly derived from cross-regional and cross-national connections. Through the connection with global companies, the firms in Zhangjiang acquire technical knowledge. Also, through the interaction with cross-regional companies, the firms in Zhangjiang absorb market knowledge. The results of this study indicate that the cross-regional connections are spurred by the increasing demand of the Chinese domestic market and the government’s support for cross-regional interactions. Cross-national connections are encouraged and led by the Chinese Government after China’s 3G communication standard is adopted.

This study is built upon a case study in Zhangjiang of China. The findings of this study may not be applicable to other countries or regions in China. Also, this study only focusses on the ICT industry in Zhangjiang. Knowledge from different industries is not included in this study. In addition, the formal and informal knowledge flow is neglected in this study as well.

The findings of this study provide business executives and policymakers with a new way of thinking about the development of industrial clusters and local firms. Firms may be able to find new ways to raise innovation performance using different external knowledge.

The major contribution of this study is an initial attempt to provide a comprehensive analysis of external knowledge of industrial clusters, different types of knowledge and their influences on innovation performance. Moreover, the mediating effects of different types of knowledge are also discussed.

The purpose of this paper is to analyse relations between geographical and competence proximity and development of cooperation in cluster initiatives.

The research was based on an original theoretical concept referring to the trajectory of the development of cooperative relations in cluster initiatives. The research was carried out in mid-2017, in four purposefully selected cluster initiatives. The research sample was 132 cluster enterprises. The main research strategy involved non-experimental models; the basic method of data collection was an online questionnaire.

The results indicated that the role of geographical and competence proximity depends on the level of cooperation in a cluster initiative. In both these dimensions, proximity was important during the initial stage of cluster development: to start cooperation between the members, however, when more mature forms of cooperation were undertaken, the factor of common location was not so crucial any longer. It was also recommended to maintain some competence distance between the partners.

The main limitations referred to the static character of the data, the use of original measurement tools, which had not been tested before, the small and little differentiated research sample and the subjective nature of the research. The above-mentioned limitations should be viewed as a starting point for further empirical research.

Knowledge on the significance of geographical and competence proximity at various levels of cooperation in clusters is valuable for efficient management of a cluster and for higher competitiveness that it can achieve.

The research study contributes to the literature, which refers to the question of proximity in clusters through the analysis of relations between geographical and competence proximity and development of cooperation in cluster initiatives. The results of the research point out that the role of geographical and competence proximity evolves with the development of cooperation in cluster initiatives.

Collaboration as a means to enabling and nourishing innovation is an important theme in the extant literature, which posits that face-to-face interactions lubricate the knowledge flow between actors, and that clusters of complementary knowledge assets provide the necessary infrastructure for this process. What happens to firms that are located outside of urban agglomerations or in peripheral regions? Are they less innovative, or can information and communication technologies (ICT) serve as a proxy for face-to-face collaboration? Theory is polarized in terms of the role that ICT may play in collaborative transactions. For example, network theory explains that weak ties are important in terms of refreshing a firm's innovation capacity by forcing it to include ideas from the periphery. Others argue that ICT cannot supplant face-to-face interaction since it is not an efficient medium for transferring tacit knowledge. This chapter uses data from the Statistics Canada 2003 Survey of Innovation to investigate empirically the relationship between firm location, innovativeness, and the extent of local and more distant collaboration.

Aim of the present monograph is the economic analysis of the role of MNEs regarding globalisation and digital economy and in parallel there is a reference and examination of some legal aspects concerning MNEs, cyberspace and e‐commerce as the means of expression of the digital economy. The whole effort of the author is focused on the examination of various aspects of MNEs and their impact upon globalisation and vice versa and how and if we are moving towards a global digital economy.

Logistics service providers (LSPs) may invest a lot of time in tenders unsuccessfully, as they do not meet the expectations of logistics service users (LSUs). In order to help them classify and target their customers more efficiently and effectively and make logistics outsourcing more successful for both LSUs and LSPs, this paper analyzes underlying dimensions of criteria German manufacturing and trading companies actually use in selecting an LSP and clusters of LSUs based on these dimensions.

A questionnaire survey with 110 manufacturing and 135 trading companies was conducted in Germany. Principal component analysis (PCA), cluster analysis, multivariate analysis of variance, analysis of variance and discriminant analysis were performed on the sample data.

PCA revealed eight dimensions of LSU criteria in selecting LSPs and that cost alone seems not decisive. Based on these dimensions, cluster analysis produced nine LSU groups. These groups differ the most in the selection criteria dimensions cost-performance ratio, operational collaboration, quality and locations. Recommendations for servicing these groups are given. The two largest groups, which make up 43.5%, seem not that demanding and price sensitive. The selection criteria dimensions and LSU groups enable LSPs to classify and target their customers more efficiently and effectively, to evaluate and develop their core competencies, and contribute to successful logistics-outsourcing relationships.

This research is the first to examine selection criteria dimensions and resulting clusters of German manufacturing and trading companies in order to make logistics outsourcing more successful.