Purpose – This paper seeks to focus on industry clusters and a rationale for why they may be considered an antidote for stimulating knowledge sharing and collaborative innovation. Design/methodology/approach – Community based participatory research was undertaken using case studies and interviews within four industry clusters based in two countries – Australia and Dubai. Findings were ranked according to a knowledge sharing relational framework. Findings – Industry clusters can play a key role in growing both established and new areas of economic development. Member firm collaboration, knowledge sharing and innovation can result in positive outcomes if the cluster is managed and facilitated appropriately and knowledge sharing is nurtured. Research limitations/implications – The paper examines top-down, hybrid and bottom-up clustering from a variety of sectors as a way of understanding knowledge sharing and innovation exchange. However, given this research comprised case studies, it is recommended that broader, more internationally generalizable research is conducted that includes cluster firms within a range of sectors. Practical implications – The stimulation of opportunities for collaboration and innovation are mandatory for firms and regions to move forward. Irrespective of the uncertainty of the outcome, cluster managers/facilitators need to ensure that they provide regular opportunities for cluster firms facilitators/managers and representatives to network and generate new ideas. Originality/value – The role of cluster managers/facilitators in supporting knowledge sharing processes has been largely overlooked to date. Agglomeration needs both visible and invisible hands to stimulate knowledge sharing and exchange.

The structure of Malysia's trade expansion over the high-growth period 1970-1994 and its implications for labour-market adjustment is examined. An econometric analysis of trade and employment data suggests that intra-industry trade is related with relatively large inter-industry payroll changes. Results therefore cast doubt over the widely held smooth-adjustment hypothesis of intra-industry trade.

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Purpose -As the Chinese economy continues to develop, rising incomes for many people has meant significant shifts in consumption patterns. Over the past several years, per capita wine consumption in China has doubled. Although off a relatively low base, this still represents a significant sales volume. At the same time, the wine industry in the country has been undergoing restructuring with China now emerging as a major producer in world terms. These developments have been occurring at a time when the global wine industry has become increasingly globalised with so-called new world (NW) suppliers challenging established European companies in existing and emerging wine markets. In this context, the paper aims to look at the possible threats as well as opportunities presented by China as a relatively new player in the market. Design/methodology/approach -The paper reviews recent production and consumption trends in the world wine market. The changing patterns and growing volume of global wine trade is then assessed in light of the significant structural changes occurring in the industry in both importing and exporting countries. Recent developments in the wine market in China are identified and possible future implications for the world market are discussed. Findings -NW wine producers are increasingly encroaching on traditional wine consuming markets and gaining advantage in new and growing markets. One result has been an expanding and increasingly competitive global market place. China, meanwhile, is seen to have considerable potential for growth in terms of wine consumption, while at the same time posing a possible threat to existing exporters in third markets. Originality/value -Knowledge of emerging trends in wine markets and likely future developments are important for industry participants as well as policy makers in countries where wine is an increasingly important traded commodity. The paper provides an important contribution to the understanding of the global nature of the wine industry and the potential influence of China as both a major producer and consumer of wine.

The objective of this research is to investigate labour market adjustment associated with changes in Australia's trade pattern over the period [1992][1993][1994][1995][1996][1997][1998][1999][2000] INTRODUCTIONTrade liberalisation and the resultant shifts in a country's trade patterns will be accompanied by significant resource reallocation effects. Transitional adjustment costs in factor markets will arise when markets fail to clear in response to changes in supply and demand conditions. More particularly, in labour markets there may be temporary unemployment and factor price disparity arising from price stickiness and the fact that resources are not freely mobile within an economy, at least in the short term. Balassa (1966) was the first to draw attention to the fact that the adjustment pressures stemming from trade liberalisation will depend on the extent to which the changes in trade which is engendered is inter-industry or intra-industry in nature. The widely held smooth adjustment hypothesis (SAH) proposes that a rising share of intra-industry trade (IIT) will be accompanied by lower factor adjustment costs, particularly in respect of labour market disruption (Brülhart, 2000). With intra-industry adjustment, workers move within rather than between industries.