A cluster of industry is an economic occurrence that provides a particular industry with a distinct, and sometimes global, competitive advantage. A cluster infers a level of critical mass in terms of firms, industry players, employment, active business relationships, innovation, knowledge development and an economic contribution to a domestic economy. Maritime clusters are industries that are usually located at or were originally centred on the trading activities of a port. Some of the world's major maritime clusters include the clusters of Rotterdam, Singapore and London.\ud
Ireland is an island nation on the periphery of Europe and therefore requires the facilities to accommodate the trade of commodities. The country's principle port lies in the Greater Dublin Region (GDR) and therefore there is some level of Maritime transport activity. Also, the critical mass of maritime and maritime transport related firms lies in the GDR.\ud
Therefore, it is known that there is some level of maritime transport clustering. In the context of the requirement of an island for transport facilities, and the concept that there are far more smaller potential maritime clusters like Dublin than there are major maritime clusters like Rotterdam - "what is the potential for the clustering of the maritime transport sector in the greater Dublin region?"\ud
Governments or policy makers wishing create a cluster, or to enhance the clustering potential of an industry will attempt to mimic the behaviour of major successful clusters. Clusters are complex systems. Basically all clusters are different: therefore, an economic formula devised from the observation of any successful cluster will not guarantee success. However this does not imply that a smaller cluster can not improve its clustering potential in some way. The current research was facilitated by experts from GDR maritime transport industry, through the application of the Delphi Method. A consensus on key clustering enhancing characteristics derived from four economic theories that conceptualize clustering and competitive advantage provided the framework for the current research. The consensus Maritime Clusters achieved will help build knowledge and understanding of potential clustering of the maritime transport sector in the GDR