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Sector connectors, specialists and scrappers: How cities use civic capital to compete in high-technology markets

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  • Tijs Creutzberg

    (University of Toronto, Canada)

  • Darius Ornston

    (University of Toronto, Canada)

  • David A Wolfe

    (University of Toronto, Canada)

Abstract

This article uses three cities in the same Canadian province (Ontario): Toronto, Ottawa and Waterloo, to examine how regions compete in high-technology markets. We find that regions use civic capital to leverage new, technological windows of opportunity, but they do so in very different ways. Tracing Toronto’s evolution from a marketing hub for foreign multinationals into a centre for entrepreneurship, we illustrate how weak ties and cross-sectoral buzz created a ‘super connector’, scaling high-technology firms in a wide variety of areas. In Ottawa, task-specific cooperation in R&D, education and specialised infrastructure enabled the region to overcome the disadvantages of its small size as a ‘specialist’ in a single, capital-intensive niche, telecommunications equipment. Finally, entrepreneurs in Waterloo eschewed task-specific cooperation for peer-to-peer mentoring. By diffusing generic knowledge about how to circumvent the liabilities of smallness, mentoring networks enabled this ‘scrapper’ city to support smaller start-ups in a broad range of niches.

Suggested Citation

  • Tijs Creutzberg & Darius Ornston & David A Wolfe, 2024. "Sector connectors, specialists and scrappers: How cities use civic capital to compete in high-technology markets," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 61(3), pages 549-566, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:urbstu:v:61:y:2024:i:3:p:549-566
    DOI: 10.1177/00420980231186234
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    References listed on IDEAS

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