Innovation, sustainability and regional development: the Nelson/Marlborough seafood cluster, New Zealand

Abstract

This paper explores how innovation, developed through multi-sector partnerships within a regional context, has assisted in increasing the sustainability of the New Zealand fishery industry. Qualitative data were collected from a single regional cluster, the Nelson/Marlborough seafood industry, located in the upper South Island – the largest seafood region in New Zealand. This context is unique in that New Zealand controls the world's fourth largest coastal fishing zone, with a 200-mile exclusive economic fishing zone (EEZ) established in 1978, and has one of the world's most innovative quota management systems. Analysis of the qualitative interview data demonstrated that: (1) collaboration among core firms was primarily at the product and process level, generally to improve the productivity of the firm; (2) opportunities for new sector growth were available from related industry collaboration; and (3) multi-sector collaborations involving both core firms and social infrastructure contributed more significantly to sustainable strategic outcomes.