Global Cluster of Innovation theory and practice in the 21st century: COI Behaviors

A Cluster of Innovation (COI) is characterized by how its participants interact and behave while engaged in a phase of rapid business discovery, often involving potentially disruptive technology and business models. These behaviors, and the agreements that emerge from them, often contribute to and reflect a business perspective that can be characterized as win-win and non-zero-sum. In this chapter we delve deeply into the behaviors and interactions of each of the categories of participants in a Cluster of Innovation, including entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, major corporations, universities, government, and the various service organizations, management and professionals that support them. It is these behaviors that define the culture of the innovation ecosystem. They are key to understanding the modern innovation economy and what distinguishes a COI from just another dense economic zone that happens to utilize advanced technology. Understanding these behaviors is essential to understanding Clusters of Innovation.