Identifying Emerging Industries through Meso-Micro Level Analysis

This paper examines the methodology employed in a project undertaken in Western Australia to identify and map the existence of industry clusters within the creative digital industries. Utilising a standard industry concentration and location quotient technique, the study team identified above average industry and employment concentrations in 59 selected industries considered to have high levels of digital content intensity. The study found industry and employment concentrations in seven key areas: i) spatial sciences; ii) engineering; Hi) construction; iv) education and training; v) creative; vi) media and vii) medical science. These were then grouped into two potential industry clusters. The first focused on the Digital Spatial Industries and the second on the Digital Creative Industries. Analysis of longitudinal data sets found emerging and established industry segments within these two clusters and case study and survey findings identified issues facing businesses within these sectors. These findings point to the need for cluster development to be based on both statistical foundations from established employment and industry data sets, and an in-depth assessment of the activities at the business unit level gathered through survey and case studies.