Abstract

Grouping to innovate seems to be the main lever used by states to improve competitiveness of enterprises. In 2008, the government of Chile implements a clusters policy. A tourism enterprises association located in Olmué (Valparaíso region), got involved into a certifcation project, grouping them to become more competitive. As a case study, we interviewed managers of the selected enterprises (hotels, restaurants, tourist operators), public offcials and in particular those who are encouraged to implement cluster policies. Our results show that for the cluster initiative named «Sello Biosfera», spatial proximity is not enough to create new organizational practices, and it is necessary to strengthen the latter. Organizational learning generated during the certifcation process is encouraging and evidence that despite diffculties, local actors assimilated the new instrument (cluster) proposed by the Government, and they have learned to work together in smaller projects than cluster itself, allowing them in a medium term to generate organizational conditions, trust each other and common language for collective work.