This presentation analyses the role played by “knowledge intermediaries” in consolidating the position of emerging resource-based clusters in export markets. The focus of the paper is two-fold. Firstly, it argues that through a process of uneven development, new opportunities for exporting and upgrading natural resources have emerged in some hitherto underdeveloped districts, but that the absence of producer organisations with strong learning capabilities means that organisations, including government bodies and producer associations that play roles of intermediaries have assumed the leadership roles. It argues that in the context of emerging clusters, these knowledge intermediaries act not only to facilitate the transfer and diffusion of knowledge into and within clusters, as previous studies of intermediaries have suggested, but and crucially because of their intermediary activities, their scope of activities extends into far more strategic activities such as leading joint-investment and dissemination of external activities. The significance of this development for these emerging clusters lies in the role these organisations play in creating “joint” actions amongst producers, the development of networks, inclusion of small firms and the development of inclusive agendas, which as the literature has argued, is a key factor for the upgrading of emerging clusters.

As part of the above discussion, the presentation provides detailed re-conceptualisation of the role of so-called knowledge intermediaries in the specific context of emerging clusters.  While it is generally recognised that intermediaries have become increasingly important in discussions regarding knowledge generation and knowledge transfer, most studies have tended to emphasize their role as that of augmenting firm-level competencies, providing assistance to university spin-offs or helping artisans or entrepreneurs respond to market opportunities (Piore and Sabel 1984). Intermediaries have therefore been consigned to playing an important, albeit but subsidiary role in a cluster. We argue that “knowledge intermediation” plays a more central role in the development of emerging clusters than has until now been recognized. By taking a “practice-based” approach to the study of knowledge generation and transfer, we can highlight the role of intermediaries in creating and disseminating new practices. For this purpose we develop a taxonomy of intermediaries that is built around how knowledge is developed and disseminated in clusters. This approach is particularly effective in the study of agricultural clusters, where the development of joint practices is crucial.