Beyond regional economic resilience: unravelling cluster resilience in the polycrisis era

Abstract This study distinguishes cluster resilience from regional economic resilience, which often overlooks heterogeneous mechanisms within clusters. Drawing on a two-decade comparison of two Chinese furniture clusters, it shows how adaptive capacities are shaped by dual embeddedness in territorial contexts and wider industrial networks. One cluster, located in an underdeveloped region with a simple industrial network, relies on direct government intervention to remain resilient. The other, embedded in a diversified and advanced economy, draws resilience from market dynamics and cross-industry synergies. The study demonstrates how institutional and industrial network contexts interact to produce distinct adaptive pathways during periods of polycrisis.