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Please briefly answer this question“it is fairly common for an industrial cluster to break up and for production to move to locationswith lower wages when the technology of the industry is no longer rapidly improving - when it is no longer essential to have the absolutely most modern machinery, when the need for highlyskilled workers has declined, and when being at the cutting edge of innovation conveys only asmall advantage. Explain this tendency of industrial clusters to break up in terms of the theory of external economies”

Question

Please briefly answer this question“it is fairly common for an industrial cluster to break up and for production to move to locationswith lower wages when the technology of the industry is no longer rapidly improving - when it is no longer essential to have the absolutely most modern machinery, when the need for highlyskilled workers has declined, and when being at the cutting edge of innovation conveys only asmall advantage. Explain this tendency of industrial clusters to break up in terms of the theory of external economies”

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Solution

The theory of external economies suggests that firms can benefit from being located near each other due to shared resources, knowledge spillovers, and a larger pool of skilled labor. However, when the technology of the industry is no longer rapidly improving, the benefits of these external economies may decrease.

  1. Lower Need for Modern Machinery: When the technology of an industry matures, the need for the most modern machinery decreases. Firms no longer need to be located near suppliers of this machinery, or near other firms that are also using this machinery. This reduces the benefits of clustering.

  2. Decline in Need for Highly Skilled Workers: As the technology matures, the production process may become more standardized and less complex. This reduces the need for highly skilled workers, which are often more readily available in industrial clusters. Therefore, firms may find it more cost-effective to move to locations with lower wages.

  3. Diminished Advantage of Innovation: When being at the cutting edge of innovation conveys only a small advantage, firms may no longer need to be located near other innovative firms or research institutions. This reduces the benefits of knowledge spillovers that come with clustering.

In conclusion, when the technology of an industry is no longer rapidly improving, the benefits of external economies decrease, and firms may find it more advantageous to move to locations with lower wages. This explains the tendency of industrial clusters to break up.

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