Report Summary

Fostering innovation-led clusters: A review of leading global practices is the second in a series of three Economist Intelligence Unit reports on research and development (R&D) in the Middle East. This report casts a spotlight on new ideas and common factors in the success of cluster initiatives globally, with a bias towards those that hold relevance for the Middle East. The report is sponsored by the Advanced Technology Investment Company (ATIC). The Economist Intelligence Unit bears sole responsibility for the content of this report. The findings and views expressed in this report do not necessarily reflect the views of the sponsor.

There are few economic development policies as popular as clusters. It is hard today to find a country, region, or even city that is not trying to develop a network of complementary and competitive firms. The political appeal is obvious, particularly now that the world’s economic crisis has put a spotlight on innovation to diversify economies and create jobs. However, the difficulty lies in turning a newly announced “science park” or “hi-tech corridor” into a genuinely competitive centre for innovation.

In this report, we review some of the practices and ideas being used by clusters around the world. The aim is to offer a detailed assessment of which of these practices and ideas might be applicable to the Middle East region as it seeks to develop its own innovation-led clusters.