ABSTRACT
This chapter explores factors that facilitated the development of the surf industry cluster in Aquitaine as well as organisational and industry-level strategies that have led to more sustainable business practices in the surf industry leveraging the cluster structure of the industry. It uses the case of the surfing industry in Aquitaine in the southwest of France. The chapter outlines geographical and geo-economic aspects in the development of the surf industry cluster before exploring socio-economic and sport-related factors as levers of the surf industry cluster. Location-specific factors can be exploited if the company owns or is able to internalise the therefore required firm-specific advantages. The joint practice of surfing while being sometimes employed by direct competitors creates social links between employees across different cluster organisations via the sport. The surf cluster in Aquitaine consists of a variety of firms and associated organisations that tend to engage in sustainable practices on the business and industry levels.
