• Journal of the Korean association of regional geographers
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.298-309
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• 2012

This paper studies the characteristics of the network of the Zhongguancun Cluster, the most representative innovative cluster of the high-tech industry in China at present. For this study, Zhongguancun Cluster was the first high-tech cluster created in China in 1988, the current Zhongguancun Cluster plays a leading role in the development of the high-tech industry in China. In addition, the Zhongguancun Cluster has attracted global attention and helped elevate China as a key region in terms of research development in relation to the high-tech industry. With regard to the spatial characteristics of the network belonging to the companies in Zhongguancun Cluster, purchase and producer services and information and R&D network have a strong tendency to be local, while on the other hand the product sales network has a strong tendency to be non-local. It is because the political support supplied by the government, institutional base that provides high-tech companies, producer services and information regarding producer services is relatively well prepared and managed in Zhongguancun Cluster. The spatial characteristics of the R&D network have a very strong local character is due to the location of the Zhongguancun Cluster where companies, universities and research centers with outstanding research development capacity as well as various support organizations for technology innovation within the cluster are included. On the other hand, because the high-tech products produced in this area are sold all across China as well as in foreign countries, the product sales network has a strong non-local character. Strengthening the local network in terms of the main agents of the cluster is the most important aspect in order to develop a certain industrial cluster into an innovative cluster. In this respect, if the Zhongguancun Cluster is seen from the perspective of a network, it has a basic network foundation. However, to strengthen international competitiveness, not only the local network but also the international network should be strengthened.

• Journal of the Economic Geographical Society of Korea
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.550-569
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• 2012

This paper studies the R&D network of the Zhongguancun Cluster, the most representative innovative cluster of the high-tech industry in China at present. For this study, Zhongguancun Cluster was the first high-tech cluster to have been created in China, the current Zhongguancun Cluster has played a leading role in the development of the high-tech industry in China. In addition, the Zhongguancun Cluster has at helped elevate China as a key region in terms of research development in relation to the high-tech industry. In particular, companies evaluate the research development network culture of Zhongguancun cluster positively and this increases their tendency to approach the research development network with an open mind. The main contents in research development network are as follows; (1) joint or consigned research development and technology transfer in the case of research development network between companies, (2) joint or consigned research development, human resource support and employment, technical advice and consultant and technology transfer in the case of industrial-educational relationships (3) joint or consigned research development, technical advice and consultant and technology transfer in the case of industrial-research relationships, (4) financial support and participation in joint research development project held by government in the case of industrial and governmental relationships (5) financing for research development, utilization of research human resources, purchase of research development and use of research development equipment for mediators. The main difficulties in creating a research development network are 'lack of mutual trust', 'financial problems of companies' and 'lack of information'. Especially, the main key obstacles for the most important research development network between industry and government in the case of the Zhongguancun Cluster are 'complicated and strict procedures. Therefore, more accurate and detailed understanding of the conditions and the following institutional measures from government are required for research development among companies.