Network based determinants of innovation performance in yacht building clusters

Abstract This paper presents the preliminary findings of a larger study that will analyze the network based determinants of innovation performance in clusters through an empirical study on the business networks of yacht building firms clustered in certain regions of Turkey. The findings of this research will specifically address the research gap in the literature on the determinants of the innovativeness and competitiveness of yacht building firms, and also contribute to the discussion on the structural characteristics and innovativeness of the knowledge sharing networks of industrial clusters. The findings of this study portrays the profile of the yacht building cluster situated in the Antalya Free Zone (AFZ), the institutional factors affecting these firms; the intellectual capital resources of firms, the structure of their networks at local, national and global levels; the relational capital they have created within their clusters, and the impact of these factors on the innovation and business performance of firms. The yacht building firms in the sample scored quite high in intellectual capital and innovativeness, relatively low in innovation performance, somewhat modest in relational capital, supporting institutional environment and total satisfaction with performance. The findings of the network analysis demonstrated that the Zone firms relied heavily on national and global networks as information sources and strategic alliances. Global and national suppliers and service providers established a high majority of total networks in those categories. The only category that showed prominence in local networks was the outsourcing firms in the region.