Edinburgh Napier University

  A maritime cluster can be defined as the agglomeration (coming together) or grouping of related business activities to achieve some form of synergy and economic gain. Such a cluster will certainly have some sort of physical manifestation associated with a particular location, but it is not necessarily the case that the entities comprising the cluster need to be co-located, although they often are. It is also the case that such clusters may either be created as part of a deliberate strategy or may simply evolve as the natural corollary of a succession of business location decisions. This paper explains the more specific concept of a maritime cluster and the various forms it might take. A series of best practice case studies from around the world reveal the different approaches that have been adopted and, particularly, the alternative arrangements for governance and policy frameworks which have been implemented to support cluster development. It is concluded that if policy and governance frameworks are designed appropriately, the maritime cluster concept can make a viable contribution to achieving a knowledge-based marine economy.