A indústria de software tem características peculiares, seu produto é imaterial, seu caracter é pervasivo e necessita de mão-de-obra bastante específica, mesmo assim sua indústria se concentra em aglomerações produtivas, muitas em locais sem tradição na indústria tecnológica. Este trabalho tem como propósito inicial investigar a aglomeração de empresas de software que caracterizam estes polos produtivos. Para isso foram pesquisados aglomerações de empresas de software no estado de Santa Catarina. Seguindo a metodologia proposta por Paul Krugman foram localizados 5 polos de software nas cidades de Blumenau, Chapecó, Criciúma, Florianópolis e Joinville. Nestes locais buscou-se os fatores relacionados ao surgimento das primeiras empresas e procurou-se por associações de representação da indústria e empresários pioneiros aos quais foram questionadas variáveis relacionadas a emergência destes polos. A questão da aglomeração das indústrias foi vista considerando elementos da emergência que, entre outras características, apresenta as aglomerações como consequência das micro interações entre os atores que geram um comportamento macro e visível. Levou-se em consideração também questões estruturais relacionadas principalmente a governo, indústria e universidade e suas influências nos processos de consolidação destes polos. O estudo identificou que os primeiros polos tiveram grande parte do seu sucesso relacionado a micro interações entre os atores a partir de empresas pioneiras enquanto que em polos mais novos a importância da Universidade e do fomento governamental foram fundamentais. / The software industry has unique characteristics, her product is immaterial, her character is pervasive and requires rather specific workforce, yet the industry concentrates on productive clusters, many in places with no tradition in the technology industry. This paper aims to investigate the agglomeration of software companies that characterize these production clusters. For this purpose agglomerations of software companies in the state of Santa Catarina were researched. Following the methodology proposed by Paul Krugman five software centers were located in the cities of Blumenau, Chapecó, Criciúma, Florianópolis and Joinville. In these clusters we sought factors related to the appearance of the first companies and look for representation associations, the industry pioneers and entrepreneurs who have been questioned variables related to the emergence of these clusters. The issue of agglomeration of industries was seen considering elements of emergency, that among other characteristics, presents the clusters as a result of micro interactions between the actors that generate a macro and visible behavior. It was taken into consideration also structural issues related primarily to government, industry and university and its influence on the processes of consolidation of these clusters. The study identified that the first’s clusters had much of its success related to micro interactions between the actors from the pioneers at the poles while in the younger clusters the importance of University and government were fundamental.

A indústria de software tem características peculiares, seu produto é imaterial, seu caracter é pervasivo e necessita de mão-de-obra bastante específica, mesmo assim sua indústria se concentra em aglomerações produtivas, muitas em locais sem tradição na indústria tecnológica. Este trabalho tem como propósito inicial investigar a aglomeração de empresas de software que caracterizam estes polos produtivos. Para isso foram pesquisados aglomerações de empresas de software no estado de Santa Catarina. Seguindo a metodologia proposta por Paul Krugman foram localizados 5 polos de software nas cidades de Blumenau, Chapecó, Criciúma, Florianópolis e Joinville. Nestes locais buscou-se os fatores relacionados ao surgimento das primeiras empresas e procurou-se por associações de representação da indústria e empresários pioneiros aos quais foram questionadas variáveis relacionadas a emergência destes polos. A questão da aglomeração das indústrias foi vista considerando elementos da emergência que, entre outras características, apresenta as aglomerações como consequência das micro interações entre os atores que geram um comportamento macro e visível. Levou-se em consideração também questões estruturais relacionadas principalmente a governo, indústria e universidade e suas influências nos processos de consolidação destes polos. O estudo identificou que os primeiros polos tiveram grande parte do seu sucesso relacionado a micro interações entre os atores a partir de empresas pioneiras enquanto que em polos mais novos a importância da Universidade e do fomento governamental foram fundamentais. / The software industry has unique characteristics, her product is immaterial, her character is pervasive and requires rather specific workforce, yet the industry concentrates on productive clusters, many in places with no tradition in the technology industry. This paper aims to investigate the agglomeration of software companies that characterize these production clusters. For this purpose agglomerations of software companies in the state of Santa Catarina were researched. Following the methodology proposed by Paul Krugman five software centers were located in the cities of Blumenau, Chapecó, Criciúma, Florianópolis and Joinville. In these clusters we sought factors related to the appearance of the first companies and look for representation associations, the industry pioneers and entrepreneurs who have been questioned variables related to the emergence of these clusters. The issue of agglomeration of industries was seen considering elements of emergency, that among other characteristics, presents the clusters as a result of micro interactions between the actors that generate a macro and visible behavior. It was taken into consideration also structural issues related primarily to government, industry and university and its influence on the processes of consolidation of these clusters. The study identified that the first’s clusters had much of its success related to micro interactions between the actors from the pioneers at the poles while in the younger clusters the importance of University and government were fundamental.

A indústria de software tem características peculiares, seu produto é imaterial, seu caracter é pervasivo e necessita de mão-de-obra bastante específica, mesmo assim sua indústria se concentra em aglomerações produtivas, muitas em locais sem tradição na indústria tecnológica. Este trabalho tem como propósito inicial investigar a aglomeração de empresas de software que caracterizam estes polos produtivos. Para isso foram pesquisados aglomerações de empresas de software no estado de Santa Catarina. Seguindo a metodologia proposta por Paul Krugman foram localizados 5 polos de software nas cidades de Blumenau, Chapecó, Criciúma, Florianópolis e Joinville. Nestes locais buscou-se os fatores relacionados ao surgimento das primeiras empresas e procurou-se por associações de representação da indústria e empresários pioneiros aos quais foram questionadas variáveis relacionadas a emergência destes polos. A questão da aglomeração das indústrias foi vista considerando elementos da emergência que, entre outras características, apresenta as aglomerações como consequência das micro interações entre os atores que geram um comportamento macro e visível. Levou-se em consideração também questões estruturais relacionadas principalmente a governo, indústria e universidade e suas influências nos processos de consolidação destes polos. O estudo identificou que os primeiros polos tiveram grande parte do seu sucesso relacionado a micro interações entre os atores a partir de empresas pioneiras enquanto que em polos mais novos a importância da Universidade e do fomento governamental foram fundamentais. / The software industry has unique characteristics, her product is immaterial, her character is pervasive and requires rather specific workforce, yet the industry concentrates on productive clusters, many in places with no tradition in the technology industry. This paper aims to investigate the agglomeration of software companies that characterize these production clusters. For this purpose agglomerations of software companies in the state of Santa Catarina were researched. Following the methodology proposed by Paul Krugman five software centers were located in the cities of Blumenau, Chapecó, Criciúma, Florianópolis and Joinville. In these clusters we sought factors related to the appearance of the first companies and look for representation associations, the industry pioneers and entrepreneurs who have been questioned variables related to the emergence of these clusters. The issue of agglomeration of industries was seen considering elements of emergency, that among other characteristics, presents the clusters as a result of micro interactions between the actors that generate a macro and visible behavior. It was taken into consideration also structural issues related primarily to government, industry and university and its influence on the processes of consolidation of these clusters. The study identified that the first’s clusters had much of its success related to micro interactions between the actors from the pioneers at the poles while in the younger clusters the importance of University and government were fundamental.

The interest in the phenomenon of industrial agglomeration dates back to the late 19th century (particularly, the work of Alfred Marshall). The late 20th century saw a renaissance in this interest, for example, in the ‘new geographical economics’ (e.g. Krugman) and Porter’s framework of competitive forces. Subsequently, clustering has come to be seen as a feature of high technology industries, despite the difficulty to gather empirical evidence to underpin this assertion and to corroborate underlying cluster-related mechanisms that would result in benefits for firms in clustered environments.This thesis extends the discourse on rationales of clustering into the field of the management software industry sector. Its objective is to use the example of the cluster around the German software giant SAP in South-western Germany as a model to explore the strengths and characteristics of clustering in this industry context. A survey-based research design was selected and interview responses were collected from 206 management software firms located throughout Germany. The empirical analysis was based on two complementary statistical approaches. The SAP cluster was compared to two control groups, one consisting of firms from non-clustered regions, the other of firms from other clustered locations. Diversities between environments were analysed using bivariate statistical techniques. The findings of this descriptive analysis substantiate disparities between the SAP cluster and the non-clustered control group. Beneficial effects available to SAP cluster firms can be observed in respect to nearly all factors analysed, i.e. access to specialised human resources, access to investment capital, demand proximity, knowledge spillover externalities, spin-off activity and the accumulation of social capital.This in-depth comparative perspective is complemented through a holistic evaluation employing structural equation modelling. Among the key findings of this analysis are the significant links between location in the SAP cluster and superior growth performance, in which long term professional networks and social capital derived from major software vendors (particularly SAP) act as mediators. Structural equation modelling also highlights a positive effect of being located in the SAP cluster on knowledge spillover externalities, which is mediated by the cultural environment in the SAP cluster. Finally, the SAP cluster environment stimulates spin-off activity, which functions as an important mediator in the accumulation and retention of social capital held with players in the industry. In sum, the empirical analysis suggests that a wide-ranging network of factors exists, in which social capital functions as a catalyst in the mechanisms resulting in benefits available to SAP cluster firms.