In the Orlando Sentinel: Space cluster growing as big firms prep for arrival. Exceprt here:
When Blue Origin opens its doors and starts rocket production, it could mean more chances for contractors to provide them with necessary parts.
That type of expansion can build on itself, as clusters attract more companies within the same industry, said Christian Ketels, a researcher at Harvard Business School who has studied industry clusters in regions.
“There are often anchors set up and then other companies come around it,” he said.
The key for clusters to work, Ketels said, is for businesses and other assets like higher learning institutions or business training centers to consider themselves a unit.
That means finding common causes, such as the development of a skilled labor force.
But there are challenges, including the potential for “group thinking,” where new ideas are stifled or not promoted.
“A cluster cannot mean that we are closing down competition,” he said. “These types of structures must always remain open to outside ideas. You can’t develop a group-think mentality.”