Abstract
The present scenario of globalization and rapid technology change has stimulated enterprises to build partnerships in research and development (R&D) activities. The development of R&D networks involves not only enterprises but also institutions such as federal scientific support agencies, universities and research centers. When these networks are located geographically in a region, they benefit from externalities related to proximity by forming clusters. The literature on proximity-related positive externalities enhances the role that partnerships occurring in clusters have in the diffusion of codified and tacit knowledge. In the particular case of the information and communication technology (ICT) industry, the development of clusters has been complemented and sometimes superseded by another activity associated with globalization: the outsourcing of ICT activities, especially in the area of software development. In Brazil, software clusters have been attracting large enterprises such as Motorola, IBM, HP, and Dell. However, although these enterprises may provide positive externalities through the diffusion of knowledge, their pressure on the local labor market may cause problems for local firms. This paper will discuss the way in which enterprises in the software sector deal with challenges related to the diffusion of knowledge in ICT clusters, using as an illustrative example the case of a software cluster located in Brazil. This cluster was originally created in the 1990s in Recife, in the north-east of Brazil, and has generated several positive impacts on local economic development. However, the growth of the cluster faces some challenges related to outsourcing and funding of local R&D. The discussion of this case study is based on in-depth (semi-structured and narrative) interviews carried out by the authors in 2007.
A previous version of this paper was presented in July 2008 at the ISS conference in Rio de Janeiro.
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Acknowledgments
The authors wish to thank Néstor Bercovich and an anonymous referee for their comments on an earlier version of this paper. The authors wish to thank IDRC and SOFTEX for their support.
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La Rovere, R.L., Rodrigues, R.F. (2011). Outsourcing and Diffusion of Knowledge in ICT Clusters: A Case Study. In: Pyka, A., Derengowski Fonseca, M. (eds) Catching Up, Spillovers and Innovation Networks in a Schumpeterian Perspective. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-15886-5_13
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