The technology park Berlin-Adlershof as an example of spatial proximity in regional economic policy

Abstract

Since the 1990s spatial economic policy increasingly tries to encourage the development of innovative firms especially in selected locations like technology parks. Spatial proximity in these locations should lead to the development of competitive clusters. The technology park Berlin-Adlershof is one example for this new approach of spatial economic policy; today it is - according to the number of employees - one of the largest technology parks in Europe. This paper discusses to what extent spatial economic policy has contributed to the development of an interlinked cluster. First elements of spatial economic policy will be evaluated according to the network and cluster approaches. Then general considerations of cluster development will be confronted with the development path of Berlin-Adlershof. Finally the extent of network formation will be discussed. The economic dynamic in Berlin-Adlershof shows that a proximity-oriented approach of spatial economic policy has been successful. Spatial proximity has encouraged the development of networks between the units, but up to now networks between science and business are not very strong.