This website is dedicated to the research on Leader Firms at the Port Economics department of Erasmus University Rotterdam
In 2003, Peter de Langen and Michiel Nijdam from Erasmus University Rotterdam introduced the Leader Firm concept in cluster theory. This concept was first empirically researched in the Dutch Maritime Cluster. The research showed the existence and the importance of leader firm behavior in the cluster. In the past years the concept has drawn substantial attention in business and policy. Some examples:
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The Dutch Maritime Network made leader firms a central theme in there further studies
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Leader Firm networks were created by the Port of Rotterdam and Dutch Maritime Network
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The ministry of economic affairs introduced the leader firm concept in their executing organizations Syntens and Senter.
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The Economic Development Board Rotterdam organized a series of seminars and projects with he leader firms in the port of Rotterdam
Furthermore the tem 'leaderfirm', in the definition given by De Langen and Nijdam, is used throughout the Netherlands by branch and sector organizations.
PhD thesis to be defended 18 November 2010 (click to download):
