Scale, Space, and Place - SME Flexibility in Cross-border Industrial Clusters

Abstract

Theme: Growth of intra-regional trade, sharing, in East Asia has brought new attention to the role of SME networks across national borders. This paper examines how Korean and Japanese networks move abroad and embed themselves in foreign territory. I look to the interplay of state, larger firms, and the SMEs in extending and rooting networks abroad. In conclusion I highlight the critical role of knowledge-transfer for effective embedding abroad among SMEs. ** Global strategies of production have ironically enhanced the specificity of the local. David Harvey wrote of the growing significance of local fragmentations for social identity and action, in the face of expanding standardization and homogenization across borders. Emerging global unities enhance local distinctiveness. As borders shrink and global capital seeks out production sites, there is a growing appreciation for what makes a place special and gives it a comparative advantage. 1

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