Do Temporary Creative Clusters Promote Innovation in an Emerging Economy?—A Case Study of the Beijing Design Week

Abstract

Extant research indicates that temporary clusters, such as trade fairs and exhibitions, play a significant role in knowledge dissemination and innovation by creating global buzz, so they are beneficial to building global pipelines. However, these findings are mainly based on the experiences in the manufacturing sectors of developed countries. This paper, however, chooses Beijing as a case to examine whether or not international exhibitions in creative industries contribute to innovation in emerging economies. Based on questionnaire surveys and semi-structured interviews conducted in 2015-2016, this paper uses a structural equation model (SEM), with three latent variables related to global buzz, global pipelines, and information acquisition, to identify the internal patterns of exhibition innovation. The results indicate that there exists innovation generated from temporary clusters in knowledge-intensive sectors as well as emerging economies. Global buzz and global pipelines construct a favorable interaction ecology. However, global buzz plays a greater role than global pipelines. This insight should help organizers improve creative exhibitions in terms of innovation and provide a deeper understanding of the relationships between innovation, global buzz, and global pipelines in temporary clusters.

Local buzz, global pipeline e global buzz:

“…Global buzz may be comprehended through relations that happens between the various actors that participate on temporary events in company clusterings (Bathelt;Li, 2020). In this scope, different actors, however, related, develop advantages through interactions, share knowledge and create innovative ideas in this environment (Bathelt & Schuldt, 2010;Borghini;Golfetto & Rinallo, 2006;Bathelt & Malmberg, 2006;Zhu et al, 2018).…”

“…Due to its particularities, the global buzz has the potential to foster the presentation of ideas, the exchange of informations and the communication in temporary spaces (temporary clusters) (Zhu et al, 2018). The co-location of many actors, along with an effective interaction may open to the possibility of future interactions, whether with local actors of clustering, whether with the external actors that were attending the event (Lin, 2018).…”

“…. (Softex, 2019;Bathelt & Schuldt, 2008, 2010Zhu et al, 2018). In the scope of organizational analysis are the companies that develops software.…”

“…In this context, it highlights studies that seek to understand the spatial dynamics of clustering of companies (Bathelt;Bathelt & Schuldt, 2010;Scholl;Garas & Schweitzer, 2018;Li & Bathelt, 2017), through knowledge global trades, comprehended as the result of interactive process, in which the actors which has different kinds of knowledge and skills get together and exchange informations with the objective of obtain competitive advantages (Lin, 2018;Zhu;Chen & Lian, 2018;Bathelt & Li, 2020). These studies points that the flow of knowledge it is not delimited to the local level and it is increasingly processed, through global networks through communication channels originating from the external environment of the clustered ( Li & Bathelt, 2017;Lin, 2018;Zhu et al, 2018;Bathelt;Li, 2020).…”

New in Old: The ‘Urban Renewal’ Thematic Exhibition of the 2019 Beijing Design Week

“…Since its origins, the BJDW initiative has operated at multiple scales. At an international level, its promoters have aimed to connect with global networks with a phenomenal institutional support (Zhu, Chen and Lian 2018). Simultaneously, it has worked together with local communities of traditional neighbourhoods such as Dashilar, Beitasi and now, Qianmen East.…”