Temporary Clusters, Knowledge transfer, and Corporate Innovation: Evidence from the China International Sport Show

Trade shows as temporary clusters have gained attention in corporate innovation research, yet their specific mechanisms remain underexplored. This paper examines the relationship between temporary clusters, knowledge transfer, and corporate innovation using the China International Sport Show as a case study ( N = 368 exhibiting companies). Through questionnaire surveys and structural equation modeling (SEM), the study found that temporary clusters create a “global buzz” information exchange ecosystem comprising global co-presence, face-to-face interaction, observation, focused communities, and multiplex meetings and relationships. These elements significantly enhance knowledge transfer between participating enterprises and other knowledge entities, which subsequently promotes corporate innovation. Results confirm knowledge transfer’s mediating role between temporary clusters and corporate innovation. This study advances existing literature by decomposing temporary clusters into constituent elements and empirically validating each component’s discrete effects on knowledge transfer and corporate innovation. Drawing on evidence from China’s sports industry, the research provides systematic insights into temporary cluster mechanisms and their role in facilitating inter-organizational knowledge transfer and innovation outcomes. The findings offer both theoretical contributions to the temporary clusters literature and practical implications for innovation-oriented enterprise development strategies.