Leader Firms and Innovation in the Port of Rotterdam Cluster

Dutch title: Leader firms en innovatie in de Rotterdamse haven-industriële cluster
Michiel Nijdam en Peter de Langen

The Port of Rotterdam is a collection of over 3000 businesses with activities ranging from trans-shipment, transport, logistics, general industry and trade. Together, these businesses form an elaborate ‘port cluster’. The development of the cluster is of importance to all the businesses in the port, which proves relevance of research to factors influencing the ‘port cluster’.

One of these factors is the presence and behaviour of leading companies, so called leader firms. These firms are so entrepreneurial, innovative or just large, that they make investments that other business in the cluster profit from. In this research the leader firms in the area of innovation are mapped within the Port of Rotterdam cluster. An analysis follows making clear in what ways these leader firms contribute to innovativeness of other businesses in the cluster.

The conclusions of the book’s research are relevant for companies in the port cluster, governments that are involved in regional economic policy and scientists and students interested in harbours, ports, business clusters and innovation.