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Many historic districts/villages in East Asia are densely built with traditional wooden structures that are not resistant to disasters, making them vulnerable to fire and at high risk of large-scale fires. Particularly in Japan, the types of historic districts/villages vary in terms of how they were formed based on where they are located. In addition to the high risk of fire, in recent years, with the aging of the population, there has been a rise in the number of vacant houses and households with only elderly residents, which has led to an increase in the risk of delayed fire detection and reduced fire response capabilities. In this study, we focus on preserved commercial and waving industrial historic districts and a historic mountain village in Japan. Through multiple questionnaires and interview surveys with residents, we examine the use of a fire signal sharing system to control fire damage by sharing fire signals with neighbors to detect and discover fires at a very early stage and extinguish fires early by mutual assistance among residents. As a result, in the surveyed historic districts/village, based on the understanding of the actual living situations and use of buildings, it is revealed that it is difficult to discover and respond to fires at an early stage during certain time periods due to a decline in population in the district/village and changes in building use. Then, through analyzing resident questionnaire results on neighborhood relations and resident awareness of mutual assistance in the event of a disaster, residents' degree of neighborhood interaction and level of cooperation perception, it is clarified that residents with close neighborhood relations and high degrees of neighborhood interaction tend to have high levels of cooperation perception and will take various cooperative response actions to the extent of initial fire extinguishing. Based on the analysis of the survey results conducted in the preserved historic districts where a fire signal sharing system has already been installed as a fire prevention measure, it is found that the residents who actually took mutual-aid actions related to early fire response when the system was triggered had high degrees of interaction, and especially the resident cooperation during an early stage fire in Takayama Sanmachi is considered to be effective in controlling fire damage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focusing on a state-run cultural creative industrial district in China, this paper examines how creative city policy, as a top-down experimental agenda, is embedded in the situated cultural and creative practices through informal urban governance at the local level, and how this informality reshapes the experiences and existing precariousness of creative entrepreneurs. Beyond the dichotomy of self-entrepreneurialism and state entrepreneurialism, this paper argues that urban cultural creative industries emerge from everyday conflicts and informal negotiations between creative entrepreneurs, local authorities, and indigenous communities in the context of policy experimentation. This process is facilitated specifically through two mechanisms: (1) political informality, which involves policy ambivalence, corruption, clientelism, and bureaucratic preferences in local state-business relations; and (2) social informality, which involves the informal social connections and cooperation between local residents and creative industries. This informality can fall on a spectrum ranging from para-formal to a-formal, depending on the degree of state intervention. While the para-formal can lead to negotiated forms of cultural production and innovation, the a-formal based on political performances and state-enlisted voluntarism may increase the precariousness and insecurity of creative entrepreneurs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Industrial Park of Wuda District is typical of industrial parks associated with coal bases in North China. Previous studies on this industrial park have focused mainly on inorganic components, such as mercury, fluorine, and water-soluble ions, with little research on polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs). In this study, the contamination characteristics and potential health risks of alkyl polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (aPAHs) and 16PAHs in soil of the industrial park were examined. Under the combined influence of its own enterprises and the upwind coal fire area, the average concentration of ΣPACs was 10,176 μg·kg−1 and ranged from 177 to 42,794 μg·kg−1, exceeding the threshold for severe pollution. The average concentration of aPAHs was 7146 μg·kg−1, which was approximately twice that of the 16PAHs (3029 μg·kg−1). The parent 16PAHs were dominated by medium and high carbon rings, while the aPAHs were dominated by alkylnaphthalenes and alkylphenanthrenes. PACs were concentrated in areas of heavy polluting enterprises such as coal chemical industries and coal-fired power plants that generate point source pollution. Using the characteristic ratio method and positive matrix factorisation (PMF) analyses, it was inferred that the study area was mainly affected by petroleum sources (coal and weathered coal gangue particles) and coal fire residue, followed by wastes from coal and biomass combustion. Coal coking and transportation sources have had fewer impacts. Additionally, the toxicity levels of PACs in the soil of the industrial park exceeded regulatory thresholds. The incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR) was in the range of 1.0 × 10−7 to 1.7 × 10−5, indicating that the PACs in the industrial park pose a potential threat to human health. Owing to the presence of publicly accessible areas affected by coal mining, coal fire, and industrial parks in North China, the potential for widespread PAC pollution is worth consideration and investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of China’s “Dual Carbon” initiative, controlling volatile compounds (VOCs) in industrial park soils was crucial for pollution control and carbon mitigation efforts. This study examined the distribution and risks of chlorinated hydrocarbons in the soils of Chongqing’s chemical and mechanical industrial parks. Through site surveys, in situ sampling, pollutant extraction and detection, and soil microbial diversity sequencing, we identified a higher pollution risk in chemical parks (detection rate of 18.5%) and compared to mechanical parks (1%). Surface soils exhibited greater pollutant concentrations (11.8%) than deeper soils (8.8%), with higher contamination levels in winter (27.8%) than in summer (9.3%). Microbial diversity analysis revealed richer microbial communities in summer, suggesting their role in the natural degradation of pollutants, with Proteobacteria dominating but remaining largely functionally uncharacterized. Trichloroethylene and tetrachloroethylene were the primary detected pollutants, though at concentrations below regulatory thresholds. These findings provided crucial data for refining carbon emission policies and environmental management strategies in industrial parks under the “Dual Carbon” framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While innovation literature has extensively explored geographic proximity, limited attention has been devoted to geographic proximity with competitor. In this study, we build a framework to elucidate how geographic proximity with competitor impacts small firm innovation, based on the theoretical perspectives of the liability of smallness and knowledge spillovers. We propose that geographic proximity with competitor has a U-shaped relationship on R&D intensity and a moderating effect on R&D intensity-small firm innovation relationship. Moreover, we propose that industrial park entry moderates the effect of geographic proximity with competitor on R&D intensity. Based on a sample of 673 firms from the China Micro and Small Enterprise Survey (CMES), our results underscore the relevance of geographic proximity with competitors for small firm innovation. Our study advances existing literature by contextualising geographic proximity within a competitive framework and investigating the role of geographic proximity with competitor across the two stages of small firm innovation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to empirically investigate the internal mechanism of the impact of supply chain learning on corporate sustainability performance from the perspective of ambidextrous innovation capability. After conducting a Bootstrap analysis on questionnaire data collected from 262 Chinese firms, this study found that supply chain learning positively affects corporate sustainability performance. In addition, exploration and exploitation innovation capabilities mediate the effects of supply chain learning on corporate sustainability performance. These findings expand the body of knowledge on supply chain learning and provide new insights into the mechanisms for improving corporate sustainability performance. This study proposes that firms should increase channels for knowledge acquisition and strive to enhance and balance their ambidextrous innovation capability. Meanwhile, the government should strengthen industrial park planning and green innovation platform construction to create favourable conditions for supply chain learning among firm clusters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To ascertain whether rapid industrialization has affected the accumulation of heavy metals (HMs) in Suzhou Industrial Park (SIP), China, the occurrence and ecological risk of HMs, including Cu, Zn, Pb, Cr, Cd, Ni, As and Hg in sediments were analyzed. The results indicated that total concentrations of HMs (mg kg−1) were in the descending sequence of Zn (235.28) > Cr (95.71) > Cu (78.91) > Ni (55.51) > Pb (23.96) > As (22.12) > Cd (0.38) > Hg (0.14). The concentrations of HMs, except for Ni and Cd, were found to be below the probable effect level (PEL). Correlation analysis (CA) and principal component analysis (PCA) showed that HMs in SIP mainly originated from anthropogenic activities. HMs were mainly in residual fractions (55.5 ~ 95.1%), and the exchangeable fractions of Zn and Cd were relatively high. The risk assessment results indicated that Hg and Cd significantly contributed to ecological risks, whereas Cr and Pb made relatively minor contributions. Our findings indicated that intense anthropogenic activities promote HMs accumulations in streams in SIP during rapid industrialization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In low-middle income countries, industrial development is essential in driving economic growth, improving social progress, and creating employment to alleviate poverty. This study used the time series of night-time light (NTL) from 2000 to 2020 to assess the industrial park growth and its impact on poverty reduction at the village level. The emerging hotspot analysis has been used to identify the space-time pattern of night-time light data over the study period. Our study reveals that industrial parks keep growing and generate new neighbourhood growth. NTL growth patterns and Gross Provincial Product (GPP) are significantly correlated. Also, the multidimensional poverty index (MPI) increases with the distance from industrial park areas. Conclusively, using space-time data mining with NTL time series data can help the local government understand and monitor industrial growth at a low cost. The NTL data is a suitable proxy indicator for studying human activities and solving the incomplete and discontinued dataset. A further study utilizing the time series NTL data is still beneficial for developing countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cooling load is the main energy consumption factor for commercial buildings during summer. This paper proposes a new approach to realize short-term building cooling load prediction by combining adaptive feature extraction and deep learning models. An autonomous kernel-based neural network (AKNN) is proposed to extract intrinsic patterns from sensor data by clustering kernels in a bottom-up way. Furthermore, a recurrent neural network-based sequence-to-sequence structure is proposed to make multi-step-ahead forecasting. Tested on an industrial park, the results indicate that the proposed model achieves the lowest RMSE of 1.79 MW for 1-hour-ahead prediction. For 24-hour-ahead predictions, the proposed model maintains superior accuracy with an RMSE of 2.85 MW, while ARIMA has an RMSE of 7.27 MW. Additionally, using a public dataset, the proposed model shows an 18.02% lower RMSE than ARIMA for 24-hour prediction, verifying its accurate and stable performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although regional resilience has been widely discussed in recent years, scholars recognise that there is little understanding of the determinants of the long-term adaptive capacity of regions. Policies for regional resilience have not been discussed at great length. This paper analyses industry evolution and industrial policies in a historical perspective, focussing on the case of the Emilia-Romagna region in Italy, that in the 1980s drew wide attention as a successful case of flexible specialisation based on industrial districts and has experienced important transformations. It has also consistently implemented industrial policies since the 1980s, and we suggest they had a role in favouring the region's resilience, especially in terms of the long-term vision of industrial development that this policy provides and promotes through various instruments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article process-traces Ethiopia's adoption and implementation of the industrial park development strategy from the mid 2000s to the late 2010s. How does policy transfer unfold, and what characterizes China's influence on Ethiopia's Special Economic Zone (SEZ) strategy? Drawing on extensive interviews conducted during multiple field trips to Ethiopia and China between 2017 and 2023, complemented by secondary sources, we argue that policy transfer involves navigating both structural opportunities—providing incentives and resources for individuals—and individual agency to surmount structural constraints. Contributing to the growing body of literature on South-South policy transfer, our study underscores the pivotal role of individual agency in overcoming prevalent structural constraints within South-South contexts, characterized by fluid power relations and less defined policy transfer networks. Additionally, we emphasize the importance of scrutinizing the agency of host-country actors in their engagements with a rising China, rather than assuming China's impacts in a deterministic manner. Our detailed documentation offers a nuanced perspective on China's influence in Ethiopia's industrialization. We show that primary agency in the policy transfer process should be attributed to Ethiopian actors, whereas the roles of Chinese actors range from initiation, facilitation, and occasionally, reluctant responses in this intricate process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates a pathway for transforming small and medium enterprise-based industrial districts to eco-industrial development in newly industrialised countries. Our framework conceptualises the eco-transformation of industrial districts as a reassembling process of local-regional industrial networks toward sustainability from an 'arenas of development' perspective, highlighting how an emerging eco-transformation arena may challenge existing unsustainable industrial networks. We employ a case-study method to illuminate how such an eco-transformation arena has emerged in Shunde District in Southern China and evolved in the dimensions of continuity, scale and depth of transformation. The results show the pathway is driven by national policy intervention and local government responses. The subsequent development is likely to shift into a fluid, non-linear process unfolded through the continuing interaction of agenda setting, actors and their relationships, strategies and actions performed, translation projects and spaces of negotiation (i.e. the arena's five components) while being influenced by context and place-specificity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are significant pollutants in urban road dust, but their distribution and associated health risks remain unclear. VOC distribution in road dust from six distinct urban areas in Beijing Daxing District, China was systematically investigated. Eighteen VOCs were detected, with the highest load in commercial areas (7.73 μg/g), followed by industrial parks (6.38 μg/g), residential areas (3.35 μg/g), leisure areas (2.79 μg/g), traffic areas (2.01 μg/g) and urban-rural fringe (1.85 μg/g), much lower than in air and water phases. Typical VOCs in road dust include methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) (0.82–1.24 μg/g), benzene series compounds (0.02–4.19 μg/g) and volatile halogenated alkanes (0.002-0.095 μg/g). Incomplete combustion of road vehicle fuels is the key source of VOCs. Particular attention was given to VOCs in typical sites within the urban-rural fringe, known for their unique pollution characteristics. The VOCs loads were ranked as follows: Gas Stations (2.61–2.62 μg/g) > Intersection (1.41 μg/g) > Main Road (1.34 μg/g) > University Gate (1.27 μg/g). Increased vehicle activity and frequent stalling contribute to higher VOCs accumulation in road dust. Health risk assessment indicates there is no appreciable non-carcinogenic risk associated with exposure to road dust VOCs. Further research should consider VOCs in the broader environmental context, including air and water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the impact of foreign investment, through acquisitions and mergers of local firms, on leading industrial clusters. While previous research has highlighted the increasing involvement of cluster firms in internationalization and knowledge globalization, the role of foreign investment requires further investigation. Power asymmetries between MNEs and partner firms are prevalent in global value chains, joint ventures, and strategic alliances, shaping the contemporary global economy. By analysing two clusters specialized in ceramic tile production (Castelló, Spain, and Sassuolo, Italy), this study aims to evaluate the impact of foreign investment on leading clusters, specifically distinguishing between multinational enterprises (MNEs) and investment funds. The research examines the perceived effects through a qualitative analysis, capturing the subjective impressions of local actors involved in acquired firms, independent local firms, technological suppliers, and supporting institutions. This paper contributes to the literature by addressing contradictory findings and providing insights into the balance between knowledge absorption and spillovers from MNEs or investment funds to local firms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explains the effects originated by the massive entrance of foreign capital in the ceramic tile district of Castellon (Spain). Cross-fertilizing multinational acquisitions and industrial districts' literature, and using mix-methods on a focal case study, our article explores the effects that those multinationals have on districts, and whether the type of multinationals (financially-oriented vs industrial) presents different impacts on a focal industrial district. Our results point out that the massive entrance of foreign capital alters the local system. Overall, positive perceived attitudes are evidenced, along with negative attitudes associated with potential risks of lack of local-embedded ownership and the reduction of local cooperative ties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractUrban spatial structures significantly influence the quality of production, living, and ecological spaces within cities. Development zones serve as essential spatial carriers in China’s rapid industrialization and urbanization, facilitating horizontal urban expansion. This study examines the impact of development zone site selection on urban space expansion through both theoretical analysis and empirical evidence. Results reveal that the dispersion of development zones leads to urban geometry loosening. Potential mechanisms, such as land expansion, are closely linked to various heterogeneous factors like official turnover and city size. With the establishment of development zones, there is an increase in the intensity of industrial and commercial/residential land transfers within a 5-km radius, confirming that the industrial suburbanization and passive residential suburbanization catalyzed by the development zones are the primary drivers of horizontal urban space expansion. Additionally, dispersion fosters competition for homogenization among industrial parks in the same administrative area. To promote organized and effective urbanization, strategies should prioritize compact development, strengthen boundary regulations, reform institutional land development practices, and optimize industrial resource integration within the city’s existing parks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A comprehensive study aimed at measuring trace elements pollution in the Shazand chemical industrial district, located in northwestern Iran, was conducted. Employing principal component analysis (PCA) and positive matrix factorization (PMF), we identified sources of trace elements and assessed associated health risks for inhabitants. The results showed that the mean concentrations of Pb, Cd, Ni, Zn, and As of 190 topsoil samples exceeded the background values, except for Cu. The total noncancer risk values for adults and children were 0.72 and 7.95, respectively, and the total carcinogenic risks were 8.46 E – 05 and 2.69 E – 04, respectively. The noncarcinogenic risk for children was above the threshold level, but low for adults. The total potential carcinogenic health risks for children exceeded the threshold of 1 E – 04 indicating a high carcinogenic risk for them, whereas the risk for adults was considered acceptable. Furthermore, As was the primary hazardous metal to human health, followed by Cd and Ni. According to the results of the PMF model, four factors were extracted for trace elements, including natural source, transportation sources, industrial sources, and agricultural sources, which contributed about 27.9%, 17.51%, 29.15%, and 25.44% to pollution of the area, respectively. Anthropogenic sources contributed far more to the potential health risks posed to inhabitants of the study area. These findings can assist governmental agencies in implementing targeted control strategies to prevent the contamination of heavy metals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study addresses the changing role of government in China's triple-helix constellation among government, industry and universities via an exploratory case study in two innovative industry clusters in China. It finds that (a) local governments are motivated to facilitate innovation networking processes, but rather not to exert full control over these; (b) New Research and Development Institutes (NRDIs) play a crucial role in the evolution and operation of innovative industry clusters in China. They derive their importance from incorporating strong market elements in the operations of government-affiliated institutions; (c) facilitating localization and cluster development has been a crucial element for stimulating innovation-driven transformation. These findings invite us to propose a catalyzing-state conception of the role of government in China's innovation system. This innovative concept may refresh the discussion of how far China should be perceived as representing a statist triple helix model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Petroleum hydrocarbon contamination is a serious concern across the globe. Here, the capability of native bacterial consortium enriched from sediment samples of Map Ta Phut Industrial Estate (MTPIE), Rayong, Thailand was described. The distribution of PAHs was assessed from the sediment samples collected from MTPIE by GC-FID and the toxic unit (TU) was calculated to assess the potential ecological risk to the surrounding biota. This study investigated the degradation potential and determined the PAH-degrading bacterial cultures by enriching collected sediments in PAHs mixtures (naphthalene, phenanthrene, and pyrene). The TPH degradation capacity of each bacterial consortium was validated in a soil microcosm using aged crude oil-contaminated soil. The MTPIE sediments were highly contaminated with PAHs (843.99-3904.39 ng g-1) and posed extremely high ecological risks to benthic biota (TU > 1). The consortium S5-P most significantly removed naphthalene (90.03%) and phenanthrene (88.14%) while the highest removal of pyrene was achieved by the S3-P consortium. Other consortia only partially degraded the PAHs. The dominant microbes in the consortia were determined using PCR-DGGE, it was found that the PAH degrading consortia were known PAH degraders such as Annwoodia, Bacillus, Brevibacillus, Lysinibacillus, Paracoccus, Rhodococcus, Sphingopyxis, Sulfurovum, and Sulfurimonas species and unknown PAH degraders such as Lithuaxuella species. The consortium S5-P showed the highest degradation capacity, removing 74.99% of TPHs in the soil microcosm. Furthermore, the inoculation of PAH-biodegrading bacterial consortia significantly promoted the catechol-2,3-dioxygenase (C23O) and dehydrogenase (DHA) activities which directly correlated with the degradation efficiency of petroleum hydrocarbons (p < 0.05). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The implementation of construction projects is always associated with several incidents for various reasons. Previous research studies advocated that human errors are one of the main causes of accidents in these projects. This paper aims to determine the effective factors leading to the occurrence of accidents caused by human errors in Industrial Parks Construction Projects (IPCPs) based in Iran. For this purpose, four rounds of the fuzzy Delphi survey were conducted with the presence of fifteen experienced experts engaged in the HSEE (health, safety, environment and energy) department of Industrial Parks in Iran. The reliability and validity of the questionnaire were reviewed and confirmed. Based on the results of the Delphi survey, forty-one factors contributing to human errors in the implementation of IPCPs were determined and classified into nine main groups. The survey findings manifested that the identified effective factors have a strong effect on the occurrence of construction accidents caused by human errors. The results of this research study have provided various major project stakeholders and safety managers with a useful decision-aid tool to make more pragmatic decisions in managing, reducing and avoiding the occurrence of construction site accidents particularly caused by human errors associated with IPCPs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the negative effects on people's health and the environment caused by the amount of soil pollutants caused by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) emitted from various sources, especially in industrial areas, and the spread of pollutants in nearby neighborhoods, as well as the extent to which children and adults, especially young people, are affected by soil intake, direct skin contact with the soil, or inhalation of contaminated soil dust due to their behavior. The aim of this study was to assess the extent to which industrial areas, particularly the auto industry in the city of Riyadh, are impacted by pollution brought on by PAHs (2 A and 2B), which are known to cause cancer. Naseem Industrial (NAI), Old Industrial (OLI), Gulf Industrial (GUI), Al-Shifa Industrial (SHI), and Umm Al-Hamam Industrial (UMH). Surface soil from the industrial districts, ranging in depth from 0 to 10 cm, as well as from the neighborhoods close by. The percentage of pollution by PHAs according to the Agency for Research on Cancer classified BaP, DBA, and BaA as probable human carcinogens (2 A) while BbF, BkF, and IND as possible human carcinogens (2B). IARC has evaluated Nap and CRY and classed them as potentially carcinogenic for humans. The extraction method is swift, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe (QuEChERS) for the ∑8 PAHs and GC-MS used to estimate the results in the extracted samples. The sole risk identified as having potential for both adults and children was exposure to BaP and DBA in street dust in different land areas in Riyadh. Mean ILCRing and ILCRder values ​​and cancer risk based on mean total concentrations of PAHBaPequi for children and adults exposed to PAHs in street dust in different regions of Riyadh were found between 10−9 and 10−4, indicating a potential risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing growth of industrial facilities calls for sustainable planning and design. In this research, the multiple objective optimization model is developed to plan for Eco-Industrial Parks, in which economic, social, and environmental criteria are evaluated. Our proposed optimization model is integrated with the simulation-based risk profile based on emergency scenarios. Varied chemical substances and explosive locations are further analyzed to assess the impact of risk. Then, the Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process technique is applied to examine uncertain decisions. Next, this study presents the proposed model with the case study of selective industrial-building types in an industrial park, in which industrial plants, hazardous material plants, warehouse buildings, and office space are included. Our analysis reveals that tradeoffs exist in designing an industrial estate with various industrial plants under conflicting objectives. Finally, tradeoffs are investigated using Pareto analysis resulting in sustainable planning for an industrial estate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Policy promotes the development of high-tech industrial parks (HIP) and the improvement of their innovation efficiency. To conduct an in-depth study of the driving path and differences of HIP policies on innovation efficiency, by making a theoretical analysis on the impact of scientific and technological innovation policies (STI) on innovation efficiency, this paper empirically analyzes the impact of STI on innovation efficiency of high-technology industrial parks. Linear regression and qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) are mainly used. Empirical tests found that policy targets drove innovation efficiency in a relatively minor way. Demand-based policy tools had the most significant influence on that. Supply-based and environment-based policy tools had a notable positive impact during the lag periods of policies.As the results of QCA, in the early stage of the development of HIP, the supply-led environment optimization path and the supply-led comprehensive path are the two forms of policy combination approaches of STI, and supply-based policies have a greater impact. In the later stages, there are four forms of policy mix approaches to STI that affect innovation efficiency, including targets-directed pathway, demand-driven pathway, supply-dominated environment optimization pathway, and environment-dominated comprehensive pathway. Given the above, this paper put forward relevent proposals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We analyse whether regionally embedded or firm-level capabilities drive regional diversification in industrial districts, examining the relationship between relatedness and Marshallian agglomerations. We argue that regional diversification lacks an explicit mechanism to explain branching into new products, positing that the origin of regional product branching is based on firm-level heterogeneity of capabilities and diversification, which is overlooked. Using mixed methods and patent analysis (1895–2019; 3592 patents and utility models), product diversification in the Toy Valley district in Alicante (Spain) is analysed, showing that firm-level related diversification with extensive local search explains the mechanism of the regional relatedness diversification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to evaluate heavy metals concentrations in soils and vegetables (cabbage, lettuce, and cassava) cultivated at Matola and Beluluane Industrial Parks, and to assess health risks linked to their consumption through estimated daily intake, hazard index (HI), and incremental lifetime cancer risk. Concentrations of Al, As, Co, Cd, Cr, Ni, Pb, and Zn were determined in the two sites. Soil concentrations of As at Beluluane site and As, Cd, and Cr at Matola site exceeded reference limits of the Food and Agriculture Organization/World Health Organization, showing heavy metal contamination. At Beluluane site, all studied vegetables presented As and Pb levels higher than reference limits, Cd concentrations were higher than the reference limit in cabbage, lettuce, and cassava leaves. At Matola site crops concentrations of As, Cd, Cr, and Pb exceeded the reference limits. Zinc exceeded the reference limit in all crops except in cabbage. HIs for vegetables from Beluluane exceeded 1.0 in cabbage (2.66), lettuce (2.27), and cassava leaves (2.37). Likewise, at Matola, HIs exceeded 1.0 in lettuce (1.67), cassava leaves (1.65), and root tubers (13). We found that vegetables cultivated in industrial parks present high carcinogenic risk due to heavy metal contamination, rendering them unsuitable for human consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Puppeteer crawler technology is used to obtain regional industrial policy documents, and we make classification and assignment from the perspective of the legal effect of industrial policy documents to quantify industrial policy variable. At the same time, Super-SBM model is used to measure energy efficiency in different areas, and spatial Durbin model is constructed according to the panel data of 30 provinces in China from 2006 to 2018. The main conclusions are as follows : (1) The spatial distribution of China's energy efficiency has a remarkable positive correlation from the global perspective. (2) The local industrial policy has a significant positive effect on its energy efficiency, while a negative spatial effect on energy efficiency in neighbouring regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Solidago canadensis has become an invasive species in Chinese cities. Little progress has been made in understanding the relationship between the plant taxonomic diversity and community stability and invasibility of local plant communities during S. canadensis invasion, especially in heterogeneous landscapes. Progress in understanding the relationship between the key functional traits of S. canadensis and its invasion intensity and competitive advantage, especially in heterogeneous landscapes, is also currently limited. Aims: We evaluated the relationship between the key functional traits of Solidago canadensis and its invasion intensity in urban ecosystems in eastern China, while taking into consideration the competitive advantages that these traits may confer. Additionally, we quantified the relationship between plant taxonomic diversity and community stability and invasibility by S. canadensis. Methods: This study was conducted using cross-site comparisons between vegetation with S. canadensis invasion and those without S. canadensis invasion in nine types of urban ecosystems (cultural and educational research site, farmland wasteland, scenic garden area, industrial district, municipal land, residential area, roadside, urban green space, and wetland waterfront) in eastern China. Results: The stem diameter at ground level, leaf shape index, and leaf chlorophyll concentration of S. canadensis were most highly correlated with its invasion intensity and competitive advantage. Community stability was positively correlated with plant diversity and evenness. Both the community invasibility and invasion intensity of S. canadensis were negatively correlated with the number of plant species of the local flora. Community invasibility was mainly influenced by the number of plant species of the local flora. Conclusions: The invasion intensity and competitive advantage of S. canadensis may be largely determined by its stem diameter at ground level, leaf shape index, and leaf chlorophyll concentration. Community stability may be largely determined by the plant diversity and evenness (especially evenness) of the local flora. Community invasibility may be largely determined by the number of plant species of the local flora. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New economic geography in a wide range of industrial theories explains why certain activities agglomerate in a certain region through the benefits of innovation activities. However, positive external economies of innovation have been less investigated in empirical studies. This study investigates the knowledge spillover effects of sectoral innovation on firm performance through the mediating effects of industrial parks in the manufacturing industry in Vietnam. Using the Vietnam Enterprises Survey (VES) data from 2011 to 2014 with 7,236 enterprises in combination with other data from the General Statistics Office (GSO), this study applied panel data regression with mixed-effects models and presented novel findings on knowledge spillover from sectoral innovation to firm performance in Vietnam. Sectoral innovation may require two years to have a positive effect on a firm's value added, which supports lags in innovation on the productivity nexus, as suggested by Griliches. Interestingly, this positive spillover effect may be greater for enterprises located in industrial parks. This finding approves the approach of innovation economy that economic activities based on new knowledge are likely to be grouped into geographical regions. This may imply policies that enhance the effectiveness of innovation through the development of industrial parks. Impact statement: This study provides new insights into the relationship between sectoral innovation and firm performance in the manufacturing industry in Vietnam, emphasizing the role of knowledge spillover and industrial parks. By employing panel data regression with mixed-effects models, the research finds that sectoral innovation positively impacts firm performance, albeit with a two-year lag. Moreover, industrial parks play a crucial mediating role in amplifying the benefits of sectoral innovation. The findings offer significant policy implications for Vietnam, suggesting that fostering innovation and developing industrial parks can lead to enhanced economic performance through increased knowledge spillover. This study contributes to the broader literature on economic geography and innovation by showing how sectoral innovation can influence firm-level outcomes in emerging economies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Departing from the hegemonic position of epidemiology in population physical activity (PA) research and policy, I argue for the significance of a complementary, holistic approach: human movement ecology (HME). The argument is developed in two steps. In a first step, and using perspectives from body ecology and eco-philosophy, I emphasize the potential in movement of a 'dynamic and spontaneous ecologization', which opens for the development of ecological consciousness and sustainable practice. In a second step, I test HME towards a 'hard case': everyday routine walking in urban settings. Even here, and paying particular attention to the nature of habitual movement and the need for a 'greening' of urban environments, I point to a significant movement ecological potential. I conclude that HME provides a fertile and complementary conceptual alternative to PA epidemiology. The challenge of low population PA levels is probably best met with facilitating for movement as an integral part of a sustainable everyday life. Actually, with an increased realization of HME ideals in practice, instrumental PA policies would become less relevant and, on a longer-term basis, perhaps not needed at all. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Logistics sustainability practices in industrial cases gain more attention recently especially when transportation efficiency becomes a bottleneck. The research of smart parking develops rapidly especially the thriving of Internet of Things (IoT). In this research, the industrial hazardous chemical vehicle (IHCV) consists of tractor and trailer. The vehicle coupling and decoupling occur frequently in order to fulfil logistics missions. The real-time dynamic indoor location information of both tractors and trailers are of great significance among users. Excessive time and human effort consumed in locating the vehicles lead to the transportation delay and disorderly parking exacerbate congestion inside the indoor parking garage. In this paper, we propose an IoT-enabled smart indoor parking system for logistics vehicles. A self-learning genetic tracking algorithm is developed to ensure the tracking performance. The feasibility and effectiveness of this solution architecture and algorithm are verified in a real-life chemical logistics company. The results show that the proposed algorithm not only performs constant improving location accuracy up to 96.7% after learning but also ensure the long-term use compared to the triangulation method. Moreover, disorderly parking can be identified by location cell partition as to eliminate potential risks. Improved logistics efficiency and lowered congestion situation contribute to the sustainable logistics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores to what extent and under what conditions resilience can be developed to cope with radical innovations in the industrial district context. Based on a comparative analysis of an Italian and Spanish cluster, this paper provides and in-depth examination of the transformation at the firm and cluster levels at the introduction, development, and diffusion of disruptive technologies, that enable clusters to cope with it and thrive. Our findings identify cluster attributes that support resilience and propose different measures of district resilience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyzes the key resilience factors of the Italian firearms district after World War II structured around four main questions: resilience of what, to what, by what means, and with what outcome. This study aims to improve and expand knowledge about the capacity and difficulties of industrial districts to adapt to market changes and maintain their competitiveness. Our findings highlight that the successful recovery was based on the conquest of a new market segment and a novel decentralised and flexible—although hierarchical—production structure achieved through the reorganisation of know-how and resources accumulated in the district. The advantages of local clustering and elevated levels of specialisation provided the district with an effective short-term adaptation to the post-war crisis and a stable long-term growth path. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heavy metals are one of the most concerning pollutants in the environment that can enter the food chain. This study aimed to evaluate metals pollution and their bioaccumulation in the farmed wheat around an Industrial Park and to assess the health risk of these metals. Sampling of soil and farmed wheat irrigated by both groundwater and treated wastewater was performed. The heavy metal concentration in the soil and framed wheat samples were measured by atomic absorption spectrometry. The mean concentrations of Cd, As, Cr, and Pb in wheat were 0.171, 0.003, 6.437 (mg/kg), and 1.052 (mg/kg) and this metals for soil were 1.884, 8.924, 36.848, 16.283 (mg/kg) for irrigated farms with groundwater and 0.149, 0.315, 4.638 (mg/kg), and 2.066 (mg/kg) for wheat farms irrigated farms with treated wastewater, and 0.939, 4.643, 24, 692, 14.135 for soil with treated wastewater respectively. The Cd, Cr and Pb content of wheat were higher than the standards limit set by the U.S. EPA. Non-carcinogenic risk was not observed through all 4 exposure routes for the studied population. However, the carcinogenic risk of Cd, As and Pb through oral route for wheat and ingestion of soil was considerable in the studied population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Positioned in the study of firm heterogeneity in industrial districts (IDs), this study analyses how mergers and acquisitions (M&A) differ between local and non-local acquirers, impacting district evolution. Focusing on the Castellon ceramic tile district transformation, from acquisitions over 2012–2022, M&A and their implication for the local district are discussed, cross-fertilizing strategy and IDs literatures. Findings, from using mixed-methods, reveal that in IDs, the M&A process remarkably differs between local and non-local firms. While local firms tend to specialize in the related focal business, targeting local acquisitions to achieve internal synergies from a better valuation and integration of acquisitions, foreign firms seek access to tacit knowledge through relational and network synergies through diversification. Effects on the territory from M&A are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A primary method of mitigating environmental problems in industrial districts, or so-called industrial clusters, in emerging economies is through shared environmental infrastructure. Yet the social justice and equity aspects of these projects claiming to be green and sustainable have rarely been investigated and interrogated, especially in authoritarian systems. Drawing on actor-network theory and environmental politics, this article examines how unjust sustainability may occur in collective environmental solutions such as shared environmental infrastructure in China. Through a case study of a furniture-coating centre to be built in a well known furniture manufacturing cluster in the Shunde District of Guangdong Province, this article investigates how the resulting local controversy unfolded and how the power dynamics between the local state and the protesting communities played out. The result shows that power asymmetry in collective environment actions may result in injustice and inequity concerns that trigger local controversies. Controversies, in turn, offer an opportunity for the power struggle between enrolment and counter-enrolment, which may challenge unequal power relations. The behaviours and tactics deployed by different actor groups in local controversies depend to a certain extent on the constraints and opportunities present within China's multi-scalar environmental governance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing on the emerging body of knowledge on art tourism, this paper aims to examine whether and how the development and promotion of forms of art could act as a catalyst for tourism and urban development in Mussafah, Abu Dhabi's commercial and industrial district. More specifically, this work focuses on the perceptions of a specific group of stakeholders, namely Emiratis who own a business in the area, to understand the role of art in propelling urban change in a non-post-industrial city. Overall, the empirical material, co-constructed during a series of focus groups, seems to highlight business owners' support for art tourism initiatives as these are perceived as vehicles to attract visitors to the area and increase their businesses' profitability. However, the multiple (and often divergent) views expressed on the types of art to consider for art tourism development also unveil the problematic role of art objects and expressions in representing and promoting the perceived main characteristics of a cultural group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This collection on 'Artificial intelligence, big data, algorithms and Industry 4.0 in firms and clusters' is introduced exploring the themes discussed by the nine papers and grouped into three categories to uncover new dynamics and identify future research opportunities for clusters and organizations in these transformative times. The first group explores theoretical aspects of AI and its evolution in social sciences, focusing on industry 4.0, smart cities, big data, and other related topics. The second group examines the role of industrial robots in employment, productivity, and knowledge absorption in industrial districts. The third group discusses innovation in the context of local production systems, AI ecosystems, and the growth and potential of the Metaverse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the last decade, a growing literature has been assessing the impact of industrial robots on productivity and employment. At the local level, the labour-displacing effect of robot adoption can be counterbalanced by a task reallocation between manufacturing industries characterized by similar/related occupational spaces. This reallocation process can be also influenced by the average degree of occupational complexity of the local labour markets. To test for the mediating role of similarity and complexity in the robot-employment-productivity relationship, we develop a two-step analysis mixing information from different data sources on 15 industries and 39 local labour market areas of the Emilia-Romagna region in Italy, for the period 2008–2017. Our analysis shows that higher exposure to robots does not affect the aggregate level of labour productivity, but, rather, is associated with a decline in (high routine) employment after three years. We further show that the negative relationship between robots and employment decreases, or even vanishes, in local labour markets with high cross-industry occupational similarity and low occupational or task complexity, and within industrial districts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Industry 4.0 (I.4.0) has a significant impact on firms, supply chains and in contexts where firms have built tight relations with high levels of interactions in a delimited geographical area. An industrial district (ID) represents an extraordinary field for empirical investigation to understand how the knowledge linked to the I.4.0 technological paradigm can be absorbed and disseminated. However, the current literature has focused its attention on the effect of I.4.0 on the IDs at an aggregate level, while little is known about the role of the firms within the IDs. This research aims to fill this gap by looking at two dimensions: absorption and dissemination. We focused our attention on 101 firms belonging to four Tuscan IDs: the Santa Croce tanning district, the Florentine leather district, the Prato textile district and the Arezzo jewellery district. This research broadens the literature about absorption and dissemination within IDs enlightening the behaviour of firms in IDs, where they can play different roles: 'traditionalist', 'bridge', 'isolated' and 'opportunist'. From a practical perspective, this paper shows firms their role played within IDs. From this research it comes out that competencies 4.0, culture 4.0 and collaboration are the key aspects for turning IDs into IDs 4.0. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Industry 4.0 threatens established lock-in paradigms in some districts. In this study, we compare different innovation policies aimed at facilitating Industry 4.0 awareness and its adoption in three Marshallian Industrial Districts (MIDs), asking: 'What' types of innovation policies work for Industry 4.0 in industrial districts? And, where they do, 'how' are those innovation initiatives designed, developed and implemented for digitizing districts? Using qualitative evidence based on 24 interviews and the review of existing literature concerning Industry 4.0 in three MIDs, results show different mechanisms and approaches for creating awareness and maximizing the diffusion of Industry 4.0 in each district, as a result of each local 'cognitive structure'. One size-fits-all policies are not realistic for digitization: collective actors leading place-based collective actions that are bottom-up and co-designed with public and private local actors is what works best. For policymakers, this study presents guidance for developing Industry 4.0 in MID settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the innovative intensity (iMID effect) in the local production systems (LPSs) using dynamic territorial units that modifies their geographical boundaries and specialization over time. The paper is based on the idea that the local communities are the real unit of generation of innovation and that they are constantly changing, behaving like a 'living innovation machine'. To explore this dynamic relationship, the paper applies the Marshallian industrial district (MID) as an approach to industrial change. Then, it focuses on the Marshallian industrial districts (MIDs) as a type of LPS and asks how the innovation effect changes in MIDs and other types of LPSs when dynamic territorial units are used. The differences in innovation intensity between the different types of LPSs are explained for Spain in the period 1991–2014 using new methods of analysis that combine causal analysis, a variable and adaptive geometry of territorial units and industrial specialization, and machine learning methods. The results show that the transformation of an LPS into another type of LPS does not automatically imply a change in innovative capacity, and the type of LPS of origin continues to be relevant in explaining current innovation processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Implementing the minimum wage (M.W.) regime leads to higher barriers to entry and the elimination of inefficient firms. This may be a key factor that affects the efficiency of Chinese firms' evolution and contributes to macroeconomic growth. Based on Chinese industrial enterprise and district M.W. data, we analyse the impact of China's M.W. regime on the evolution and behaviour of micro firms and the resulting macroeconomic effects from two aspects: a theoretical model and panel data regression. The results show that the M.W. regime increases firms' factor productivity significantly but leads to the immobility of incumbents, as it results in lower entry and exit probabilities. Total factor decomposition suggests that a M.W. regime improves regional economic efficiency via the growth effect. In addition, as capital intensity increases, a M.W. regime further boosts the growth in firms' productivity, but its positive effect on macroeconomic efficiency diminishes. The results help understand the underlying drivers of China's economic growth and offer important reference significance for rationalising labour policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the spatial concentration of 120 service industries in India's rural and urban areas, covering 33.60 million establishments using Economic census (2013) data at the district level. Besides, this study uses a cartogram map to examine knowledge-intensive business services (KIBS) industries' spatial concentration patterns and geographical concentration of employment of workers in rural and urban areas in India. Empirical results show that the magnitude of the spatial concentration effect varies in rural and urban areas. Further, empirical results reveal that KIBS industries are localized in rural and urban areas but have a skewed distribution toward urban areas. Moreover, results show that hotspots in rural areas seem higher than urban hotspots, although rural hotspots employ fewer employees than urban hotspots. The empirical results suggest that urban planners and district municipal authorities can give more emphasis and implement suitable KIBS industry-specific policies to boost regional economic growth and employment in rural and urban India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

What characterizes the relations amongst actors engaged in decarbonization? I posit that no single characteristic can satisfactorily explain the heterogeneous politics of reducing emissions and propose the concept of styles as the patterned ways in which actors relate to each other to decarbonize. Based on qualitative fieldwork, I compare two projects for a national policy mandating the use of low-carbon technologies – India's Smart Cities Mission – and find variation in their styles. In Rajkot, local state, business, and policy elites with a variety of interests converged to impose decarbonization on a site used by herders as pasture. In Davanagere, local industry, workers, state bureaucrats, and experts independently bargained over a plan that accommodated livelihoods in a puffed rice manufacturing district. I theorize styles as a systematic heuristic to capture variation in the politics of reducing emissions and identify surprising coalitions for decarbonization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The establishment of the Hsinchu Science-based Industrial Park (HSIP) in 1980 created a site for high-tech success in Taiwan and increased the political, cultural and economic significance of the city of Hsinchu. In the intervening four decades, Hsinchu City has moved between the identities of being an historic city and a science city. While most research on HSIP focuses on its economic benefits, the resulting social and economic segregation between the natives of Hsinchu and newcomers to the city has evolved. Although current city development often causes the alienation of old timers and indifference by newcomers, the center of Hsinchu remains the locus in which to transform the dichotic city into a place to be enjoyed by everyday residents. This paper uses an ethnographic approach to examine the value of historic sites interpreted by both groups. The discussion focuses on how opinions held by preservationists/officials/elites (re)shape the value of historic environments yet create conflicts among stakeholders with different interests, and how narratives of "city as archive" (re)shape the connections between people, place, and the past. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyses the relationship between increased competition and cluster resources – that is, horizontal cooperation, supporting organizations, and knowledge transfer – during the 2008–2010s economic crisis, and we discuss the impact of the crisis on small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The empirical study is based on a survey with entrepreneurs within two Italian clusters: Arzignano (tannery) and Riviera del Brenta (high-quality footwear and accessories). Our results show that competition impacts the clusters' competitive resources. We consider that support institutions act as a local resource but also as a local actor, which means that having a positive impact on them depends on the actions they develop to overcome a crisis. Thus, for local SMEs, territory is a source of competitive advantage, even when the cluster is under pressure. This paper provides two major contributions. First, we show that when cluster resources are affected by an external shock, a positive result might emerge. Second, from a managerial point of view, we show that institutions are important in supporting the cluster in times of crisis, and these institutions may be able to implement concrete actions to help local SMEs promote their products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rural parts of Kenya are undergoing or are expected to undergo massive social-ecological change as a result of the government's ambitious development agenda driven by infrastructure and extraction. The pastoralist rangelands near the dormant Mount Suswa volcano in Narok, Kajiado and Nakuru counties have witnessed the creation of a modern railway and a geothermal project, and plans for further geothermal developments are expected together with a large inland port and industrial park. Other scholars identify structural, discursive, organisational and directly violent frontier characteristics which occur at the interface of two social orders and are well recognised in parts of northern Kenya. This article considers how these phenomena play out in a frontier inhabited by marginalised pastoralists but 'on the doorstep' of Nairobi and other urban centres. It concludes that most frontier phenomena are also present in marginalised areas closer to the centre and as such, the frontier is not necessarily geographically determined. However, formations of violence and dynamics of policing are different to the north and proximity to the economic and political centre makes a difference, allowing the state to remain more in control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the impact of formal cooperation on the performance of Italian firms operating inside and outside industrial districts (IDs). The analysis is focused on a policy tool (Contratti di Rete or network agreements) introduced in Italy to promote the use of non-equity alliances among smaller firms. We claim that the impact of both inward- and outward-looking partnerships is moderated by the local environment in which member firms are embedded. The results show that the benefits from the policy measure are more evident for outward-looking agreements that do not involve ID firms. Inside IDs, firms do not seem to be capable of reaping significant gains from the use of formal cooperation. From a policy perspective, our findings suggest that decision-makers should tailor their interventions to the features of the local economic environment, promoting strategies aimed at maximizing the outcomes of formal cooperation while accounting for geographical differences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eco-industrial parks (EIPs) have been proposed as a transformative model for assisting developing countries in upgrading their industrial systems to meet higher global environmental standards while boosting economic competitiveness. However, for many industrial settings, the requisite contextual requirements have yet to be clarified. This paper aims to contribute to filling this gap. It examines the potential of transforming a case study Tanzanian industrial park, an Export Processing Zone (EPZ), into an EIP. The park was assessed against four criteria (roundput, locality, diversity and gradual change) using SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analysis. The paper draws upon key informant interviews, document reviews and physical site inspection. Findings reveal several strong and weak points of the EPZ, painting a scenario of a zone that is not based on the cycling of resources, does not have a diverse cooperation network arranged locally, and does not rely on the flow of renewables. However, the presence of a park management team, existing synergies, planned synergies and overall national and global development priorities make the park potentially strong as a whole. Our findings underscore the need for deliberate policy interventions. They can be applied to comparable contexts to pinpoint critical areas when planning the interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing countries need industrial parks (IPs) to modernize their industries and technologies as well as to enable the growth of ventures by combining the entrepreneurial elements in the entrepreneurial ecosystem. Industrial parks will integrate domestic and foreign investment through public-private partnerships (PPP), academia-industry linkage (AIL), and foreign direct investment (FDI). However, there is weak integration of PPP, AIL, and FDI in IPs and poor involvement of small ventures in IPs in Ethiopia. In this regard, the current study was conducted in Addis Ababa city administration, with an emphasis on examining the triple whorl (i.e., integration of PPP, AIL, and FDI) of IPs' contribution towards small firm growth. Using a sample of 245 small manufacturing enterprise owners selected through simple random sampling, the data for this research were obtained through primary data sources. These data were analyzed using partial least squares technique structural equation modelling. From this, we identified that the partial least square technique structural equation modelling result indicates that PPP, AIL, and FDI significantly improve the growth of small ventures. However, the independent influence of the triple whorl is intensified when government commitment is greater. Therefore, the government should commit to incorporating small enterprises in benefiting from the integration of the triple whorl of IPs to improve the growth of small ventures. This study is the first to develop the triple whorl model that integrates PPP, AIL, and FDI, and contributes to the improvement of entrepreneurial ecosystem and venture growth of IPs. It also makes a novel contribution by testing the elements of the triple whorl at the micro-level by relating to the small ventures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]