INTERNATIONAL CLUSTERS: ECONOMIC ESSENCE AND CLASSIFICATION

Abstract

Abstract. The paper studies the conceptual foundations of the analysis and the economic
essence of the formation processes of the international clusters under conditions of the global
economic development. The author examines the categorical apparatus of the international clustering,
identifies the key success factors of the international cluster structures. The new classification
of economic clusters on a territorial basis is recommended. Special attention is given
to the place and the role of the international clusters in the globalized world. The author presents
the most common definitions of the term «international cluster» in the modern economic literature.
After analyzing the existent interpretations of this phenomenon, the author proposes
her own formulation. The characteristics of the international cluster as a form of international
economic cooperation have been discussed; the synergistic effects of the international cluster
have been formulated. The author argues the concept of the international economic relations development
on the network economy principles contributes to the formation a new vision of the
cluster efficiency mechanisms. The paper promotes the view, that the cluster model is the most
effective factor of the development of the international economic relations in the context of globalization.
Key words: clustering, international cluster, network economy.