Agglomeration or Cross-border ICT Cluster? The Öresund Region

Following the recent intense debate about clusters and cluster development, consensus has emerged that innovation and firm’s competitive powers are not only based on the firm’s own ability to develop knowledge into technological solutions, but are also dependent on the firm’s relations to other firms and local capabilities and infrastructure. The character of these external relations and the forms which best suit innovation and productivity growth are however still under discussion. It is of prime importance whether these external relations can be characterized as agglomerations or clusters, not the least for policy development. It is, therefore, a central issue in this context whether the ICT (information communication technology) sector in the Öresund region is characterized by agglomeration or clusters. Because the Öresund region is a cross-border region (Sjaelland (Zealand) in Denmark and Skåne (Scania) in southern Sweden), the second issue that will be discussed is the possibilities and barriers for integrating the region’s ICT sector. Despite the EU’s support for cross-border regionalization, there has been little academic interest in the possibilities for developing clusters or agglomerations in cross-border regions. In contrast our agglomeration and cluster discussion focuses on cross-border issues and the consequences for policy.