When we talk about clusters, it's the fabulous destiny of Silicon Valley that first comes to mind – the place where entrepreneurs and policymakers alike flock. But do we really understand the complex mechanics of these clusters? What tools can economics and other related disciplines use to analyze their performance? When it comes to spending taxpayer money to support cluster development, do benefits actually exceed costs? 

This book provides a synthesis of cluster theory and presents methodologies to analyze their structure and performance. It also contains insights into how to renew regional innovation policy.

The French edition of this volume was granted Best Book in Economics 2016 by The French Association of Economics (AFSE)