Identification of regional clusters in greek economy

Abstract

This paper investigates the structural elements, the ways of set-up, and the evolutionary
progress of industrial clusters as well as the potential of implementation for the dynamic
development of Greek SME’s which form the backbone of our national economy. Specifically,
we provide an overview of existing definitions and quantitative approaches used to identify
regional industrial clusters. The clusters encompass different type of relationships, industries and
functions under diverse conditions. All these elements need special analysis ( for each industry /
region) and distinct approaches. The methodology we have followed in this paper is the
multivariate Statistical cluster analysis, relying on input / output model. The Input / output table
( product x product) is obtained from the National Statistical Service of Greece (National
Accounts of Greece) and is based on 1998 data. The results are summarized in the forms of
dendrograms and provide a positive initial view of the Greek economy with respect to SMEs
from a cluster perspective.