Abstract
Industrial Clusters, especially those based on biologically sourced materials and their derivative products, can play an important role in the global shift to more sustainable production methods and ecological economic systems. The concept of cluster, however, is difficult to define and study. In this paper, we present quantitative methods based on Input-output and in Operations Research analysis to establish and plan cluster operations, and complement with qualitative reflections on the nature of these clusters. The purpose is to bring together both dimensions and demonstrate their complementarity, with social and policy aspects being as important considerations as techno-economic-driven ones. Through a case study, we create hypothetical clusters using numerical methods; the clusters produced by numerical methods point to and raise important issues related to the need to utilize qualitative analysis in conjunction to pure economic motives while designing/planning industrial clusters.
