Cluster policy implementation requires careful management if the different actors are to be properly engaged and committed. This article argues that a great deal rests upon the quality of leadership both at the strategic level of regions, or other administrative scales, and of individual projects or initiatives such as cluster support organisations. Furthermore, it examines cluster policy in the Austrian region of Styria where its successful application has assisted the transformation of the region from a crisis point in the 1980s. The adoption of a particular ‘distributed’ style of leadership has been effective in creating a strong institutional base, achieving cooperation across organisational, sectoral and other boundaries and building lasting partnerships based upon mutual self-interest.
Available at: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01442871003723374