Title: What is the difference of innovation between industrial and service cluster? A case study

Authors: Pi-Feng Hsieh, Jen-Te Pai

Addresses: Department of Marketing, Takming University of Science and Technology, No. 56, Sec. 1, Huanshan Road, Neihu, Taipei, Taiwan. ' Department of Land Economics, National Chengchi University, No. 64, Sec. 2, ZhiNan Road, Wenshan District, Taipei, Taiwan

Abstract: The innovation mechanism within service-oriented clusters is different from the traditional industrial cluster in which the focus is primarily on knowledge spillover. Based on the case study of Taipei 101 Retail District, we find that firms innovate via cobranding from dynamic alliance in a common service milieu to satisfy the changing (and/or to create new) customer demands. Servicescape, cobranding and service milieu provide a demand-derived perspective of innovation within clusters. Since service-oriented clusters of firms have increasingly become prevalence in recent decades, our findings offer a compatible framework to interpret the industrial reality, as well as providing new insights for firms located in service clusters to gain and sustain competitive advantages.

Keywords: service clusters; innovation; cobranding; Taipei 101; retail districts; Taiwan; retailing; shops; shopping; industrial clusters; knowledge spillover; dynamic alliances; common services; customer demands; demand-derived perspectives; servicescapes; service industry; industrial reality; competitive advantage; co-branding; brands; brand partnerships; sustainable society; sustainability; sustainable development.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSSOC.2010.036941

International Journal of Sustainable Society, 2010 Vol.2 No.4, pp.355 - 375

Published online: 18 Nov 2010 *

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