"As Canada emerges from the recent economic downturn, firms in industrial clusters face a series of unique challenges. From established clusters in auto parts and wine, to emerging clusters in biotechnology, photonics and multimedia, firms must adapt to rapidly changing demand and cost conditions, cope with increased competition at home and abroad, and finance an accelerating pace of innovation. The papers in this volume examine how firms in eight clusters are meeting these challenges by accessing resources and markets, managing economic uncertainty, and adapting to market changes. Representing the latest research findings from members of the Innovation Systems Research Network, the papers highlight a number of key themes: the contribution of both local and global sources of knowledge to innovation within the clusters, the powerful draw of external markets that can act as the primary stimulus to innovative behaviour, the interaction between key elements of the research infrastructure and innovative firms, and the complex, but essential, influence of public policy on cluster dynamics."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved

This collection is the first systematic examination of the evolving relationship between the federal government and Canadian universities as revealed through changes in federal research and innovation policies.

'This volume is an important step in furthering the discussion about how cluster strategies work and the implications for theory and policy.' – Jennifer Clark, Review of Regional Studies The role of innovations and clusters has increasingly dominated local and regional development policies in recent decades. This authoritative and accessible Handbook considers important aspects of high-tech clusters, analyses insightful cluster case studies, and provides a number of recommendations for cluster policies. The chapters in this Handbook are written by international experts in the field and present evidence of the scope, effects, and potential of clusters as concentrations of innovative activities. The authors emphasize that cluster development is not the only option for local and regional development and argue that for cluster policies to be worthwhile, supporting policies in fields such as education, R&D, transportation, and communication infrastructure must accompany most cluster policies. Furthermore, several contributions stress that clusters often develop along a life cycle that may end with decline and even the disappearance of clusters. Consequently, this Handbook provides the basis for improving both research on innovation and clusters and the formulation and implementation of cluster policies. Furnishing the reader with rich, comprehensive discussion of innovations and clusters, this Handbook will be an essential source for researchers and academics in the field, as well as policymakers, planners and specialists, development experts and agencies, and consultants.

Describes both traditional and newer methods of winter protecting roses in cold climates, offering an expanded catalog of rose plants, profiles of major clases of roses, and instructions to achive ideal growing conditions.

Regional economic development has experienced considerable dynamism over recent years. Perhaps the most notable cases were the rise of China and India to emergent country status by the turn of the millennium.

On decadal time scales, climate change may result not only from man-made causes, but also from natural processes. This book brings together theoretical conceptions of the physical mechanisms of climate change with observational evidence of these changes. The following key topics are included: Observed Climatic Variability, Predictability of the Atmosphere and Oceans from Days to Decades, and Mechanisms for Decadal to Centennial Climate Variability. Further, there are specialised contributions on the role of the oceanic circulation in climate change. The authors are renowned for their pedagogical skills, and the book is primarily designed for beginners in the field, who have a background in physical science. In addition, it is an invaluable source of information for scientists seeking an overview on climate dynamics.

Analyses the economic development of cities from the 'cultural economy' and 'creative industry' perspectives.

Examines the development and role of small business clusters from a variety of disciplines - economics, marketing, management, and information systems. This book aims to prove that there is an approach suggesting that cluster analysis is truly interdisciplinary. It gives case studies illustrating the variety of clusters throughout the world.

Innovation has moved through a range of revolutionary epochs, but there is no clear picture of how, or even if, innovation can be managed. This book explores the models, methods and metrics of innovation analysis in the context of a single center: the Global Oilseeds Complex centered in Saskatoon, Canada. It is a single, coherent volume that outlines the theory and practices related to innovation, offering a critical assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of the different approaches, backed up with empirical evidence.

This impressive new book uniquely focuses on the phenomenon of media clusters and is designed to inform policymakers, scholars, and media practitioners about the underlying challenges of media firm agglomerations, their potential, and their effects. Including an array of distinguished contributors, this book explores the rationale and purpose of media clusters, how they compare with clusters in other industries, and the significant differences in characteristics, development processes and drivers among various media clusters worldwide. It incorporates perspectives from economic geography and economics, public development and industrial policy, organizational studies, entrepreneurship, as well as cultural and media studies, to provide a comprehensive view that provides critical insight into these clusters.