Cluster Branding

Innovation economies are a departure from traditional modes of development. Where the latter privileges activities like resource extraction and infrastructure construction, the former emphasizes less material approaches such as knowledge-building and talent creation. In its drive to become a knowledge-based economy, Dubai may face challenges of perceptual legitimacy in its newly formed innovation clusters. At the same time, however, a strength of image bulwarks its established clusters like finance and logistics. This chapter summarizes best practices and existing theory on cluster branding, briefly examines several innovation clusters in Europe and the United States, and finally ruminates on the opportunities and challenges faced by Dubai in creating strong brands that communicate innovation.