Knowledge Environment in Clusters - Warsaw Agglomeration and Norcom

This paper touches upon the knowledge environment (KE) as a factor attracting foreign direct investments (FDI) to clusters. Clusters - geographic concentrations of interconnected companies and associated institutions - can enhance the regions' attractiveness and stimulate inflow of FDI mainly thanks to the features such as closer cooperation, tacit knowledge, low communication costs, and other advantages stemming from proximity.KE has been conceived as one of the sources of clusters' attractiveness and is defined as an ecosystem conducive for broadly defined knowledge processes. This concept has two dimensions - knowledge base and knowledge mechanisms - assuming that cluster does not only posses certain knowledge attributes such as scientific institutes or pool of highly qualified labor force but it also provides for necessary elements facilitating the dissemination and accumulation of knowledge, such as social networks, spillovers, etc.Besides literature review, field study qualitative research has been conducted. It encompasses in-depth interviews with the representatives of NorCOM - North Jutland Wireless Communications and Maritime Communications and Navigation Cluster in Denmark and a quasi cluster (cluster in statu nascendi) around Warsaw. The results obtained indisputably indicate clusters offer an environment favorable for foreign investors conducting research and development activities (R&D). However, confronting the Polish and Danish cases revealed the perception of knowledge environment differs between these two cohorts.