Fostering Industry Cluster Development
Business clusters have been a developing component of the Cairns region’s economy for more than a decade, with the cluster concept originally introduced to the region by John Dean, the then CEO of Cairns Regional Economic Development Corporation.
What are Business Clusters?
“Clusters are geographic concentrations of interconnected companies or institutions that manufacture products or deliver services to a particular field or industry. Clusters arise because they increase the productivity with which companies within their sphere can compete, and typically include companies in the same industry or technology area that share infrastructure, suppliers, and distribution networks.” – Encyclopedia of Small Business, 2007
In the past decade there have been a multitude of clusters come and go from the regional landscape in a variety of industries including aviation, maritime, fishing, education, landscaping and super yachts.
Of the clusters still operating today, three continue to flourish with the support of Advance Cairns. They are:
- CLIC (Cairns Landscaping Industry Cluster)
- Study Cairns
- Super Yachts Group
Business clusters can often be a vibrant economic force, which is why Advance Cairns, as the region’s peak economic development agency, has prioritised facilitating their development in the Cairns Region. To help sustain these clusters, Advance Cairns provides administration support in the form of a Cluster Centre in its office, which provides office space and equipment for staff from each of the clusters to carry out their day-to-day operations, as well as a meeting space for their members to utilise.