Nano-economics, spinoffs, and the wealth of regions

The historical evolution of four prominent industry clusters is compared: automobiles in Detroit, Michigan, tires in Akron, Ohio, semiconductors in Silicon Valley, California, and cotton garments in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Detailed data are collected concerning the intellectual and geographic origins of entrants into the clusters and other regions to probe the mechanisms underlying geographic clustering. The main mechanism at work in the four clusters involves employees leaving established firms to found their own firms or shape new entrants in their industry. Questions and policy implications related to the spinoff mechanism and the mobility of employees are discussed.