在全球化與知識經濟時代的發展下，科技的發展克服了距離的限制，但產業廠商彼此的距離並未變遠，反而更加靠近，形成產業群聚的現象，就像美國的矽谷、臺灣的新竹科學園區一樣，許多廠商利用群聚間的互動強度，加強知識交流，增進創新活動的成效。本研究透過地理鄰近性、溝通方式、知識內容以及創新活動這四個構面之間的關係，建立一個地理鄰近性對創新活動影響模式。研究結果發現鄰近性廠商，其對面對面溝通的影響較電話、電子信箱溝通大。而面對面溝
通對內隱知識取得有正向顯著影響；外顯知識較內隱知識對激進式創新的影響來得大；而鄰近廠商互動強度是溝通方式與知識內容取得的中介變數。以此模式可做為群聚廠商之管理參考，採用適當的溝通方式來獲得想要提昇的知識類型，進而影響創新活動。

The advance of technology, under the influence of globalization and
knowledge-based economy, has diminished the physical distance among
manufacturers and has instigated industry clustering. Just like the Silicon Valley in the US and Hsinchu Science Park in Taiwan, the interactive intensity of agglomeration among manufacturers has facilitated knowledge exchange and advanced the effectiveness of innovation activity. This study probes the interconnections among geographical proximity, communication mode, knowledge content, and innovation activity, and in turn creates a model featuring the influence geographical proximity has on innovation action. The results showed that, the shorter the distance among the manufacturers, the more the influences on the fact-to-fact communication mode. Face-to-face communication has greater influences on tacit knowledge than telephone and email do; and explicit knowledge has greater influences on radical innovation than tacit knowledge does, in which the interactive intensity is the mediating variable of communication mode and knowledge content.
The model can serve as reference for managing industry clusters. Adopting a proper communication mode can help the obtainment of the preferred knowledge, and can further affects the innovation activity.