Does light touch cluster policy work? Evaluating the tech city programme

Despite academic scepticism, cluster policies remain popular with policymakers. This paper evaluates the causal impact of a flagship UK technology programme. I build simple framework and identify effects using difference-in-differences synthetic controls on rich microdata. further test for timing, cross-space variation, scaling churn channels. The policy grew densified cluster, but has had more mixed tech firm productivity. also find most ‘effects’ began before rollout, raising questions about programme’s added value.