Abstract

In this project, cluster structures and economic relations between enterprises in Central Franconia are examined. The region in Bavaria has the cities of Nuremberg, Erlangen and Fuerth at its core. Booming high tech as well as declining manufacturing industries are represented. Rather than measuring the specialisation of regions along conventional industry classifications, we apply the notion of ‘functional specialisation’ to our analysis and examine inter-sector regional value chains. Of the wide range of topics covered in this research, the consequences of functional specialisation on regional cluster activity and on the development of the regional labour market are of particular importance.

Our analyses draw on data from interviews (with regional experts like representatives of companies, public institutions, existing networks, chambers of commerce and industry) and a survey of companies in the region. Clusters as well as the region’s cluster potential is identified and assessed by applying a methodological strategy initially developed at the University of Regensburg. Relevant criteria are the geographic concentration of industries, labour market pooling, the deposit of market leaders in the region, and the existence of supporting institutions and network activities.

Data from the survey and information from our cluster analyses are also included in CORIS, a web-based, interactive cluster-oriented regional information system (www.coris.eu). CORIS provides in-depth information on each cluster identified and all companies and institutions affiliated with it in the form of cluster-specific location maps. CORIS is continually updated and intended to suit the needs of labour market participants in the region by providing detailed information on the region’s economic space and the relations within it.