Key Points Human capital intensive clusters emerged surprising early in a number of technology fields in Vancouver (Canada), but they largely failed to develop beyond entrepreneurial rent seekers. We discuss this in the light of Vancouver's international economic spatial position. Vancouver appears to occupy a strategic Canadian innovation pivot point position on the Pacific Rim. Abstract As a generalization the innovation systems literature has downplayed the overall physical geographic

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... of particular places and the connections between cities in national or international urban systems. This paper examines the innovation history of a few of Vancouver's peculiarly human capital intensive clusters noting how the isolation with no nearby cities and its connectedness (a Pacific gateway point) appear to have shaped its trajectories. This analysis begins to make a few sketches of how place and innovation can come together emerging from a 10 year study of innovation clusters and cities in Canada.