Industrial clusters, innovation and universities: The role of the university in a textile cluster

Abstract

The main purpose of this paper is to contribute to the discussion about the role played by universities in the traditional industrial clusters, as a result of the changing situation of the competitive environment. To achieve this objective, our work makes a study of an industrial cluster for a so-called traditional sector with serious problems of competitiveness. The study results show how the cluster has changed the redeployment of its relational capital, becoming more important the relationship between the companies of the cluster and the University. This is caused by the search of a greater product differentiation, through processes of innovation and product improvement in which the University plays an important role.