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Hub Firms and the Dynamics of Territorial Innovation: Case Studies of Thales and Liebherr in Toulouse

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  • Jean Pierre Gilly
  • Damien Talbot
  • Jean-Marc Zuliani

Abstract

The principal objective of this paper was to offer an approach to the notion of hub firms using concepts from the economy of proximity. It shows that the specificity of the hub firm lies in its ability to combine technical and relational skills, allowing early involvement with, for example, an aircraft manufacturer in order to take part in the design and production of systems or sub-assemblies. A particular characteristic of the hub firm is the way it develops linked organizational and geographical proximities which this article analyses in detail. In particular, such firms demonstrate the capacity to establish different types of organizational proximity based on whether they are co-ordinating with the architect-integrators or with sub-contractors, proximities sometimes reinforced by a temporary geographical proximity. When hub firms co-ordinate with industrial or scientific partners, which help them to conceive and master particular sets of skills, they often forge links based on geographical proximity in order to develop the innovations necessary for the acquisition and master of these in-house skills. These theoretical arguments are then tested in the cases of the hub firms Thales Aerospace and Liebherr Aerospace in the Toulouse aeronautical complex.

Suggested Citation

  • Jean Pierre Gilly & Damien Talbot & Jean-Marc Zuliani, 2011. "Hub Firms and the Dynamics of Territorial Innovation: Case Studies of Thales and Liebherr in Toulouse," European Planning Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 19(12), pages 2009-2024, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:eurpls:v:19:y:2011:i:12:p:2009-2024
    DOI: 10.1080/09654313.2011.632904
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    Cited by:

    1. Gilly, Jean-Pierre & Kechidi, Med & Talbot, Damien, 2014. "Resilience of organisations and territories: The role of pivot firms," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 32(4), pages 596-602.
    2. Med Kechidi, 2019. "From A300 to A350: technical and organisational innovation trajectory of Airbus," Post-Print hal-02025656, HAL.
    3. Ouellet, F. & Mundler, P. & Dupras, J. & Ruiz, J., 2020. "“Community developed and farmer delivered.” An analysis of the spatial and relational proximities of the Alternative Land Use Services program in Ontario," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 95(C).
    4. Lucena-Piquero, D. & Vicente, Jérôme, 2019. "The visible hand of cluster policy makers: An analysis of Aerospace Valley (2006-2015) using a place-based network methodology," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 48(3), pages 830-842.
    5. Rachel Levy & Damien Talbot, 2015. "Control by proximity: Evidence from the 'Aerospace Valley' Competitiveness Cluster," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 49(6), pages 955-972, June.
    6. André Torre & Frederic Wallet Wallet, 2013. "The role of proximity relations in regional and territorial development processes," ERSA conference papers ersa13p792, European Regional Science Association.
    7. Mathieu Bécue & Jean Belin & Damien Talbot, 2014. "Relational rent and underperformance of hub firms in the aeronautics value chain," Post-Print halshs-02337588, HAL.

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