| Introduction | p. 1 |
| What do we know about the clustering of high-tech firms? | p. 5 |
| Do firms Cluster? | p. 5 |
| How can clustering be detected? | p. 6 |
| Simple counts, percentages and location maps | p. 7 |
| Relative vs. absolute effects | p. 10 |
| Measures of spatial concentration and inequality | p. 11 |
| The definition of Clusters | p. 15 |
| Where do high-tech firms Cluster? | p. 20 |
| Existing empirical evidence | p. 20 |
| New empirical evidence | p. 22 |
| Final remarks and observations | p. 58 |
| Appendix: data sources | p. 59 |
| Theoretical literature review | p. 63 |
| Introduction | p. 63 |
| "Classical" location theory | p. 64 |
| Least cost approach | p. 64 |
| "Demand side" approach | p. 69 |
| "Land utilisation" approach | p. 70 |
| General location equilibrium models and urban economic theory | p. 71 |
| Non-price interactions models | p. 72 |
| Monopolistic competition models | p. 74 |
| Game theory | p. 76 |
| Krugman and the new economic geography | p. 77 |
| Industrial geography | p. 80 |
| Technological infrastructure approach | p. 82 |
| Porter's competitive advantages | p. 83 |
| Jacobs and the economic history of cities | p. 83 |
| Diffusion theory | p. 84 |
| Path dependence, lock-in and informational cascades | p. 86 |
| Biological and ecological models | p. 88 |
| Concluding remarks | p. 89 |
| Moving forward | p. 92 |
| Modelling firms' location and Cluster development | p. 95 |
| Introduction | p. 95 |
| Firm location processes and the development of Clusters: a macro-economic (ecologically-derived) approach | p. 96 |
| The effect of previous locations on clustering dynamics | p. 96 |
| Locational benefits and costs and the development of an industrial cluster | p. 97 |
| A logistic model | p. 100 |
| Location process in a two-regions framework | p. 106 |
| Co-operative interactions | p. 110 |
| Multi-cluster interactions: some methodological remarks | p. 115 |
| Micro-economic foundation of ecological models: the role of expectations | p. 117 |
| Introduction | p. 117 |
| Subjective heterogeneity: the role of expectations | p. 118 |
| Enfry dynamics | p. 123 |
| The initial critical mass | p. 125 |
| Firms | p. 126 |
| Exit dynamics | p. 126 |
| Concluding remarks | p. 128 |
| Cluster development policies in variable macro-economic conditions | p. 129 |
| Introduction | p. 129 |
| Policy interventions for local development | p. 130 |
| The relevance of external macro-economic conditions | p. 131 |
| Variable macro-economic conditions | p. 133 |
| Optimal long mn development policies | p. 134 |
| Concluding remarks | p. 136 |
| Firm location processes and cluster's development: a micro-economic(innovation diffusion derived) approach | p. 137 |
| Epidemic models | p. 137 |
| Rank models | p. 140 |
| Rank, stock and order effects in the location process | p. 143 |
| Survey of empirical literature | p. 149 |
| Why do firms Cluster? | p. 149 |
| Agglomeration economies | p. 151 |
| Localised sources of demand and/or supply | p. 152 |
| Search costs reduction, diffusion, and informational cascades | p. 153 |
| Increase in market power | p. 154 |
| How do firms cluster? | p. 154 |
| Relevance of innovative infrastructure | p. 156 |
| Relevance of urbanisation/agglomeration economies | p. 157 |
| Relevance of institutional framework and national characteristics | p. 157 |
| Relevance of the availability of skilled labour | p. 158 |
| Relevance of venture capital and financial institutions | p. 158 |
| Relevance of the quality of life | p. 159 |
| Relevance of the proximity of R&D plants to head quarters locations | p. 159 |
| Relevance of site reputation, prestige and business climate | p. 160 |
| Excellence and success do not necessarily bring success | p. 161 |
| How to study clustering? | p. 161 |
| Advantages and drawbacks of direct surveys | p. 161 |
| Advantages and drawbacks of Statistical macro-level studies | p. 162 |
| Advantages and drawbacks of econometric analyses | p. 163 |
| Advantages and drawbacks of simulations | p. 163 |
| Final remarks | p. 163 |
| Empirical analyses of the location of high-tech firms and of Cluster development | p. 165 |
| Introduction | p. 165 |
| The role of geographical benefits | p. 166 |
| Estimating the role of geographical benefits in determining location decisions | p. 168 |
| Clustering of firms or workers? Scale vs. agglomeration economies | p. 172 |
| A rough indicator | p. 173 |
| A model | p. 175 |
| The data | p. 176 |
| The results | p. 177 |
| The growth of an isolated Cluster | p. 179 |
| Competition and co-operation in the dynamic of Clusters development | p. 180 |
| A model | p. 181 |
| Market structure and industrial specialization in the growth of high-tech clusters | p. 186 |
| A model | p. 188 |
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