Global Pipelines and Local Buzz; enhancing innovation in the North Staffordshire ceramics district

We investigate the role of global pipelines formed by temporary translocal clusters for the innovation performance of the UK’s North Staffordshire Ceramics industry. Survey data from 112 firms finds both local linkages and global linkages have positive and significant impacts upon innovation; intensifying the use of local linkages leads to significant increasing returns to innovation, however intensifying the use of temporary translocal clusters has positive but insignificant effects. Additionally, we find the interaction between local and temporary translocal knowledge clusters are complementary (albeit weakly) in their affect upon innovation. We offer implications of our findings for innovation in local clusters and suggest the need for theoretical development of the global pipelines concept in relation to temporary translocal cluster.