Innovation Networks And Learning Regions

Innovation, Networks and Learning Regions? address key issues of understanding in contemporary economic geography and local economic policy making in cities and regions in the advanced economies. Developing the idea that innovation is the primary driving force behind economic change and growth, the international range of contributors stress the importance of knowledge and information as the 'raw materials' of innovation. They examine the ways in which these elements may be acquired and linked through networks, and demonstrate that there are empirical examples of innovative areas which do not have highly developed networks yet appear to be relatively successful in terms of local economic growth. In so doing, they raise crucial questions about the ways in which regions or localities might be described as truly 'learning' areas, and about the sustainability of future economic and quality of life success based on innovation and high-technology.

Innovation, Networks and Learning Regions? address key issues of understanding in contemporary economic geography and local economic policy making in cities and regions in the advanced economies. Developing the idea that innovation is the primary driving force behind economic change and growth, the international range of contributors stress the importance of knowledge and information as the 'raw materials' of innovation. They examine the ways in which these elements may be acquired and linked through networks, and demonstrate that there are empirical examples of innovative areas which do not have highly developed networks yet appear to be relatively successful in terms of local economic growth. In so doing, they raise crucial questions about the ways in which regions or localities might be described as truly 'learning' areas, and about the sustainability of future economic and quality of life success based on innovation and high-technology.

The relationship between innovation, networks and localities is of central concern for many nations. However, despite increasing interest in the components of this research triangle, efforts in these fields are hampered by a lackofconceptual and empirical insights. This volume brings together contributions from a distinguished group of scholars working in different but related disciplines, and aims to provide a fresh look at this research triangle. The objective is to offer a concise overview of current developments and insights derived from recent studies in Europe and North America. All of the contributions are based on original research undertaken in the various regions and nations and are published here for the first time. We are grateful to all those who have contributed to this volume for their willingness to participate in the project. Without their co-operation this book would not have been possible. We should like, in addition, to thank Angela Spence for her careful linguistic editing and assistance in co-ordinating the production of the camera ready copy. Lastly, but not least, we wish to express our gratitude for support from our home institutions, and in particular the Austrian Academy of Sciences (Institute for Urban and Regional Research), the Austrian Ministry for Science and Transport, the Styrian Government (Section for Science and Research) and the Federation of Austrian Industry in Styria for the financial backing received. April 1999 Manfred M.

The social dynamics of innovation networks captures the important role of trust, social capital, institutions and norms and values in the creation of knowledge in innovation networks. In doing so, this book connects to a long-standing debate on the socio-spatial context of innovation in economic geography, which is usually referred to as the Territorial Models of Innovation (TIMs) literature. This present volume breaks with the TIM literature in several important ways. In the first place, this book emphasizes the role of individual agency because individuals and their networks are increasingly recognized as the principal agents of knowledge creation. Secondly, this volume looks at space as a continuous field of opportunity rather than as bounded territory with a set of endowments, such as knowledge base and social capital. Although individually these elements are not new to the TIM literature, it has thus far failed to grasp their critical implication for studying the social dynamics of innovation networks. The approach to the socio-spatial context of innovation in this volume is summarized as Knowledge Economy 2.0. It emphasizes that human creativity is now the main source of economic value and that human creativity and knowledge creation is not an organized process within organizations, but happens bottom up in formal and informal professional and social networks of individuals that cut across multiple organizations.

Regional developers and network administrators are proud of having the largest number of registered network participants and clicks on their internet platform. However, what ultimately counts are the real business contacts that lead to additional sales, sustainable supplier-relationships, or to innovation projects leading to sustainable competitive advantages for companies and regions. Thomas Bentivegna focuses on ad-hoc networks, which are poorly represented in existing network and innovation literature. He identifies, classifies and categorizes different innovation network types operating in 5 European countries (Switzerland, Germany, England, Ireland, and France) based on data collected from 28 firms. He shows how a basic understanding of the types of innovation networks which are operating in North-West Europe, as well as the typical firm profile for each one, can be an effective tool in helping to support the agenda of several different key innovation actors.

Building on the idea of inclusive learning, which entails a process of shared prosperity across the globe, this work looks at funamental changes at the start of the new milliennium, as innovation is gaining increasing importance for local economic prosperity and the emergence of learning societies.

Innovation is increasingly recognised as the key to successful competition in the global knowledge-based economy. In Knowledge, Clusters and Regional Innovation the authors illuminate the highly differentiated nature of the innovation systems found across the country and demonstrate that innovation can occur in a wide range of sectors and clusters, ranging from multimedia and biotechnology in large metropolitan areas to more traditional sectors such as wood products in rural settings.Written by members of the Innovation Systems Research Network (ISRN), a cross-national network of regionally oriented researchers from a wide range of disciplines, Knowledge, Clusters and Regional Innovation provides important insights into the varied nature of innovation in the Canadian economy. The members of the network have recently launched a major study of cluster development across Canada that promises to provide scholars and policymakers with continuing insights into the nature economic development in Canada.Contributors include Neil Bradford (Huron University College), Shauna Brail (Ministry of Economic Development and Trade, Ontario), John N.H. Britton (University of Toronto), Michael Gurstein (Technical University of British Columbia), J. Adam Holbrook, Cooper H. Langford (University of Calgary), Lisa Mills (Brown University), Jorge Niosi (Université du Québec à Montréal), Pierre Therrien (Marketplace Innovation Directorate, Industry Canada), Diane-Gabrielle Tremblay (Université du Québec), and David A. Wolfe.

This book presents different approaches to regional development based on knowledge and innovation in Andalusia, Spain (and some other countries).