ABSTRACT
The Province of Limburg demonstrates clustering on a very small scale, adopting some of the basic theories about clusters to their own requirements. The cluster development approach in Limburg is, in comparison with archetypical clusters, distinctive in two ways–cluster development is part of innovation policy, and the clusters formed are typically on a small scale. The cluster approach in Limburg is a combination of European, national and Province policy directions combining industrial and innovation policies. Support for cluster development at Dutch national level is part of industrial policy, but it has also been pursued within the Province of Limburg as an element of innovation policy. Cluster development cannot be examined independently from the Regional Technology Plan (RTP) because the formation of clusters in Limburg is within the framework of the RTP matrix. The cluster approach in the Limburg RTP supports a cluster of firms which are not direct competitors by focusing instead on vertical linkages.
