Hightechnology industrial development and formation of new industrial district : Theory and empirical cases

첨단산업발전과 신산업지구 형성 : 이론과 사례

Contemporary global space economy is so dynamic that any one specific structural force can not explain the whole dynamic processes or trajectories of spatial industrial development. The major purpose of this paper is extending the traditional notion of industrial districts to functioning and development of new industrial districts with relation to the development of high technology industries. Several dynamic forces, which are dominated in new industrial districts in the modern space economy, are incorporated in the formation and dynamic aspects of new industrial districts. Even though key forces governing Marshallian industrial district are localization of small firms, division of labor between firms, constructive cooperation, and industrial atmosphere, Marshall points out a possibility of growing importance of large firms and non-local networks in the districts with changes of external environments. Some of Italian industrial districts can be regarded as Marshallian industrial districts in broader context, but the role of local authorities or institutions and local embeddedness seem to be more important in the Italian industrial districts. More critical implication form the review of Marshallian industrial districts and Italian industrial districts is that the industrial districts are not a static concept but a dynamic one: small firm based industrial districts can be regarded as only a specific feature evolved over time. Dynamic aspects of new industrial districts are resulting from coexistence of contrasting forces governing the functioning and formation of the districts in contemporary global space economy. The contrasting forces governing new industrial districts are coexistence of flexible and mass production systems, local and global networks, local and non-local embeddedness, and small and large firms. Because of these coexistence of contrasting forces, there are various types of new industrial districts. Nine types of industrial districts are identified based on local/non-local networks and intensity of networks in both suppliers and customers linkages. The different types of new industrial districts are described by differences in production systems, embeddedness, governance, cooperation and competition, and institutional factors. Out of nine types of industrial districts, four types - Marshallian; suppliers hub and spoke; customers hub and spoke; and satellite - are regarded as distinctive new industrial districts and four additional types - advanced hub and spoke types (suppliers and customers) and mature satellites (suppliers and customers) - can be evolved from the distinctive types and may be regarded as hybrid types. The last one - pioneering high technology industrial district - can be developed from the advanced hub and spoke types and this type is a most advanced modern industrial district in the era of globalization and high technology. The dynamic aspects of the districts are related with the coexistence of the contrasting forces in the contemporary global space economy. However, the development trajectory is not a natural one and not all the industrial districts can develop to the other hybrid types. Traditionally, localization of industries was developed by historical chances. In the process of high technology industrial development in contemporary global space economy, however, policy and strategies are critical for the formation and evolution of new industrial districts. It needs formation of supportive tissues of institutions for evolution of dyamic pattern of high technology related new industrial districts. Some of the original distinctive types of new industrial districts can not follow the path or trajectory suggested in this paper and may be declined without advancing, if there is no formation of supportive social structure or policy. Provision of information infrastructure and diffusion of an entrepreneurship through the positive supports of local government, public institutions, universities, trade associations and industry associations are important for the evolution of the dynamic new industrial districts. Reduction of sunk costs through the supports for training and retraining of skilled labor, the formation of flexible labor markets, and the establishment of cheap and available telecommunication networks is also regarded as a significant strategies for dynamic progress of new industrial districts in the era of high technology industrial development. In addition, development of intensive international networks in production, technology and information is important policy issue for formation and evolution of the new industrial districts which are related with high technology industrial development.

오늘날 첨단산업의 발전과 더불어 산업의 공간구조 변화가 지역적인 차원은 물론 국제적인 차원에서 일어나고 있으며 신산업지구의 등장은 그 좋은 예라고 볼 수 있다. 신산 업지구는 소기업 중심의 유연적 전문화에 의해서만 형성되는 것이 아니라 생산체계, 생산의 네트워크, 뿌리내림(embeddedness), 기업의 규모 등 4가지 요인과 관련하여 다양한 형태로 형성발전하는 역동성을 가지고 있다. 신산업지구는 기본적으로 네트워크의 유형에 따라 4개 의 기본유형과 5개의 혼합형으로 구분될 수 있는데, 이들은 위의 4가지 요인 외에도 기업간 권한의 계층성, 협력과 경쟁, 제도적 요인, 매몰비용(sunk costs) 등에 의해서 그 특성이 구 분되며 사례를 확인할 수 있다. 9개의 유형은 모두 첨단산업과 관련지을 수 있으나, 첨단산 업의 발전과 더불어 혼합형 산업지구가 형성발전될 가능성이 더 크다. 과거의 산업지구는 역사적 우연성에 의해서 형성되는 경우가 흔하였지만 오늘날 첨단산업과 관련한 산업지구는 정책과 전략이 그 형성과 발전에 중요하다. 따라서 제도적 지원체계의 마련, 매몰비용의 절 감, 국제화에 대한 대응 등의 여러 가지 전략이 추진되어야 신산업지구의 형성과 역동적인 발전이 가능하다.