Globalization of innovation and dynamics of a regional innovation network: The case of the Canadian Fuel Cell Cluster

The Canadian Fuel Cell Cluster began its integration in the eighties in response to military intelligence policy recommendations, but its particular configuration and dynamics have been changing over time. This paper presents a longitudinal analysis of its development. Fieldwork was done through interviews conducted in 2005 and 2007-8. Results show some ways in which the role of the main actors, linkages and processes responsible for the cluster formation and evolution change over time. We provide a brief history of the fuel cell cluster and a description of its current characteristics and dynamics. We make particular reference to factors that they respond to, such as policies, market expectations, industry structure, and government economic support, for example, in order to explain the current cluster configuration as an open international innovation network, rather than as a local or regional one, a fact that challenges previous knowledge in this field.