Industrial clusters and the competitiveness of The Netherlands

Summary In this contribution the application to The Netherlands of Michael Porter's new method for assessing the competitiveness of a nation is presented. Special attention is given to the clustering of Dutch industries, their geographical scope and the integration of services. On this basis we assessed Porter's approach. Our conclusion is that the clustering method is a valuable tool but may be improved upon, and that too much and one-sided emphasis is put on national specificities.