Maritime clusters are important industrial constructs, for they have the potential to transform regions into beacons of global competitiveness. Clusters achieve this end-result through the fusion of collective dynamics and linkages among firms with acute innovation potential, as well as a culture of competitive symbiosis between and within firms. When the latter is paired with the maritime industry the results can manifest in many successful case studies not only for transportation, but business in general. Though clusters’ beneficial aspects can be traced in the dawn of economic theory, their intricacies are still not understood. Especially with respect to maritime clusters, the research body regarding the threads of their competitiveness is still germinating. This fact provides a dynamic opportunity for research and practice to develop frameworks and models to better understand these industrial constructs. The present work, through a questionnaire deployed to professionals active in maritime clusters, and to academics with contributions within the body of knowledge, provides strong evidence as to the perceptions of the threads of competitiveness for maritime clusters. The sample of the study was asked to provide a numerical representation of a constellation of factors with reference to competitiveness, which were extracted through a structured literature review. The numerical representations were then cross-tabulated, measures of association were extracted, and statistical decision testing was conducted. The results point to the convergence of the perceptions of academia and practice. The differentiating characteristic of this study is that it unveils distinct perceptions within academia and practice. This research can be utilized for benchmarking and setting specific policy directions with reference to the factors that competitiveness depends upon. Notwithstanding, this work can provide the baseline whereupon future research may spawn.

海上产业集群是重要的产业结构，因为它们具有将地区转变为具有全球竞争力的灯塔的潜力。集群通过具有强烈创新潜力的公司之间的集体动力和联系的融合以及公司之间和公司内部的竞争共生文化来实现这一最终结果。当后者与海运业结合使用时，结果可以在许多成功的案例研究中得到体现，这些案例研究不仅涉及运输业，而且涉及整个商业领域。尽管集群的有益方面可以追溯到经济理论的兴起，但它们的复杂性仍不为人所知。尤其是在海上集群方面，有关其竞争优势的研究机构仍在萌芽。这一事实为研究和实践提供了动态机会，以开发框架和模型以更好地理解这些工业构造。通过向活跃在海上集群中的专业人员以及在知识体系内有贡献的学者分发的调查问卷，本工作为人们对海上集群竞争力的理解提供了有力的证据。要求研究样本提供一系列关于竞争力的因素的数字表示，这些因素是通过结构性文献综述而提取的。然后将数字表示形式制成表格，提取关联度量，并进行统计决策检验。结果表明，学术界和实践界的看法是一致的。这项研究的与众不同之处在于，它揭示了学术界和实践界的不同见解。可以参考竞争力所依赖的因素，将这项研究用于基准测试和设定具体的政策方向。尽管如此，这项工作可以提供基准，以便将来进行研究。