|
The Portuguese Maritime Mega Cluster: Assessment and
Innovation
Abel Simões and Regina Salvador
e-GEO–Research
Centre for Geography and Regional Planning, and
School of Social Sciences and Humanities–New
University of Lisbon.
*Corresponding Author’s Email:
abelsimoes@fcsh.unl.pt;
regina.salvador@fcsh.unl.pt
Accepted 30 July, 2013
|
|
In these last five years, the creation of a Maritime
Cluster in Portugal has been an issue of first
political and economic relevance. The enlargement of
the Continental Shelf under national jurisdiction
into a total surface of 2.2 million square
kilometres (with a predictable high level of
mineral, genetic and hydro thermal
resources)–particularly taking into account the
economic crisis in current context–awakes all kinds
of hopes and ambitions. The main guidelines of the
Integrated Maritime Policy for the European Union
–requires the creation of a maritime
mega-cluster. It should include both traditional
(fishing, canning industry, shipbuilding, maritime
transports), and modern sectors (wave and tide
energy, biotechnology), in a country that it is not
known for a high level of social capital or its
capacity of developing joint efforts. Starting with
the assumption that geographical proximity and
enterprises/institutions strategic cooperation
promote competitiveness and innovation and, in
consequence, the development, we propose to
determine the existence of cooperation relationships
and/or partnerships between activities connected
with the maritime sector; if those relationships
exist, are they partnerships at local, regional or
national scale; and if recent trends point out
towards innovation. The paper quantifies these a
cluster main inter sectorial linkages, based on the
integrated system of Portugal’s Input-Output Matrix.
It is also put in evidence the multiplier factors of
direct, indirect and induced effects. Taking into
consideration the final quantitative results, the
authors present some remarks in terms of Employment,
GVA and Investment in Portuguese Sea Cluster
Economic Sectors.
Keywords: Maritime Cluster, Input-Output
Matrix, e-Planning.
|
