8Foundry Alliance Publications

The gap between organisations that grow internationally and those that stay stuck is rarely about the quality of their product or service. More often, it comes down to the structure they operate in. Companies, cities, universities and research institutions that are part of well-organised business clusters systematically outperform those acting alone — on productivity, revenue growth, export performance and their ability to co-develop new technologies. This article examines what the data actually shows, where the concept comes from, what distinguishes different types of clusters, and what this means practically for any organisation — regardless of size or sector — that is considering international expansion.