The Missing Link: International Migration in Global Clusters of Innovation

This chapter looks at the global network of innovative agglomerations, with a focus on their degree of internationalization and on the actors behind it—particularly high-skilled migrants. Using worldwide patent and publication geo-localized data, it identifies all Global Hotspots of Innovation (GIHs) and Niche Clusters (NCs) worldwideand relates their success to their international connections. In particular, it compares organizational ones, such as international collaborations orchestrated by multinational firms’ collaborations, to personal ones, which may derive from migration to/from the GIHs and NCs. The analysis suggests a strong role for the latter, always comparable and sometimes larger than the former.