Journal of the Korean Geographical Society ISSN:1225-6633(Print) 대한지리학회지

This paper aims to analyze the process of the evolution of Gumi electronics industrial cluster and to understand the role of governments for local industrial dynamics. Gumi was a typical satellite platform type new industrial district up to mid-1990s. At that time, Gumi industrial park was the agglomeration of branch plants headquartered in Capital Region with weak local linkages. During the last two decades, however, Gumi has evolved to an electronics industrial cluster with considerable local interfirm linkages and innovation activities of SMEs. Recognizing government industrial policies is critical in understanding the process of the evolution of Gumi electronics cluster. At the early stage, the state was the developer and locator of business activities within the confines of the Gumi industrial park. In recent years, central government’s innovative cluster policy contributed to strengthening networks among firms, universities, and research centers to form local innovation networks as well as networks between large branch plants and SMEs. Gumi city and Gyungsangbuk-do promoted innovative activities of SMEs through the supports of cooperative networks between universities and SMEs. The increasing roles of SMEs and local governments in addition to the large branch plants and the central government have become the basis of the evolution of industrial cluster in Gumi.