Boundary spanners and the external market reach of clusters: the case of the Jingdezhen ceramics cluster in China

Extra-local linkages are increasingly understood as key drivers of cluster development. The literature, however, tends to be overwhelmingly concerned with global production and knowledge linkages, paying insufficient attention to extra-local market linkages. To address this research lacuna, through a case study of the Jingdezhen ceramics cluster in China, the paper investigates the 'market reach' process to unpack how diverse individual actors, conceptualized as 'boundary spanners', have enabled this cluster to forge extra-local market linkages. More specifically, it identifies three market reach mechanisms, namely: convening quasi-permanent clusters locally, facilitating participation in external temporary clusters and establishing one-to-one market relationships.