Mapping Local and Regional Potentials for Inter-sectoral Technology Flows in Industrial Clusters – Empirical Results for Germany

The paper explores the potential for inter-sectoral technology flows in industrial clusters in Germany. With the help of a product-embodied R&D flow matrix, calculated using data on input–output tables and sectoral R&D employment, we construct industrial cluster based networks of technology provider and user relationships and examine the regional embeddedness of different sectors in the technological diffusion network of industrial clusters. As a result, the paper shows that simple graphical representations of relevant product-embodied R&D flows illustrate substantial differences in potentials for technological relations within industrial clusters.