“Global challenge local solutions” AGRI-FOOD CLUSTERS AND COMPETITIVENESS. INTERVENTIONS IN TWO

Although it may sound paradoxical, in a globalized economy many competitive advantages reside in certain local factors. As we resolve the paradox of geographical location in a global economy, we may discover how businesses create their competitive advantage. Today, the world economy map is characterized by what Porter calls “clusters”: critical masses of companies that act in related industries, all settled in one region. Geographical and cultural proximity provides companies better information, tighter relationships and other advantages hard to come by for distant competitors. Porter (1990) explains how the companies must be configures, how they can contribute to universities and what type of promotion governments must develop. According to Porter (1990) clusters constitute geographical concentrations of interconnected companies, specialized suppliers, service providers, companies in related sectors and connected institutions (such as, for example, universities, standardization institutes, commercial associations) that compete but at the same time cooperate. As critical masses of unusual competitive success in certain areas of activity, clusters constitute a salient characteristic of all or almost all national, regional and even metropolitan economies, especially those of advance