Investigating Local Economic Trends for Shaping Supportive Tools to Manage Economic Development: San Diego as a Case Study

During the last decades, the urge to support Regions’ competitive positioning within the knowledge-based global economy has been perceived as a priority. Given this emerging need, the concept of regional clusters has become increasingly central to support the decision-making process and guide economic development strategies. This paper aims at contributing to the debate on the role of clusters as the key engine of regions economic development, with a specific focus on local clusters. This argument is discussed through actualizing the study on the case of the San Diego Metropolitan Statistical Area (SD MSA), California. Firstly, an insightful review of relevant works on the topic of clusters is offered. Secondly, the attention shifts on the Case of the SD MSA, which is investigated through a twofold methodological approach, validated in compliance to the MAPS LED project. Accordingly, a sample of highly performing local cluster is selected and studied both quantitatively (using indicators) and spatially (through the GIS mapping). Ultimately, the study offers a comprehensive picture about San Diego local economy by coupling quantitative and spatial analysis. In addition, the study offers insights to policy makers on the potentials of clusters spatialisation as a supportive tool for effective decision-making.