One size fits all?: Towards a differentiated regional innovation policy approach

Innovation has moved to the foreground in regional policy in the last decade. Concrete policies were shaped by “best practice models” derived from high-tech areas and well performing regions. These are often applied in a similar way across many types of regions. Here an attempt is made to show that there is no “ideal model” for innovation policy as innovation activities differ strongly between central, peripheral and old industrial areas. In this paper we analyse different types of regions with respect to their preconditions for innovation, networking and innovation barriers. Based on this classification different policy options and strategies are developed.     

Political aspects of innovation

“Political aspects” that enhance, but also undermine, the positive transformational power of public innovation policies are examined. As such, this paper follows Micha? Kalecki in his 1943 paper that identifies the “political aspects” which enhance and undermine the positive transformational power of Keynesian full employment policies. Similarly, this paper provides a policy framework that identifies what government and business support as innovation policies. The role of innovation stems from Schumpeter's long-run perspective, but incorporates the more dynamic cyclical short-term and trend perspectives of Kalecki. This paper critiques the strategy of public innovation policy in general and derives policy implications.     

National innovation systems, capabilities and economic development

This paper focuses on the role of capabilities in economic development. In recent years, the quality and availability of data on different aspects of development have improved, and this provides new opportunities for investigating the reasons behind the large differences in economic development. Using factor analysis on data for 25 indicators and 115 countries between 1992 and 2004, we identify four different types of “capabilities”: the development of the “innovation system”, the quality of “governance”, the character of the “political system” and the degree of “openness” of the economy. Innovation systems and governance are shown to be of particular importance for economic development.     

How to institutionalize innovative clusters? Comparing explicit top-down and implicit bottom-up approaches

The cluster concept has become a popular guideline for regional policies fostering industrial competitiveness and innovativeness based on sectoral specialization and collaboration. This article discusses the issue of effective institutional forms of cluster promotion, juxtaposing two modes: Explicit cluster policies implemented top-down by regional authorities and implicit initiatives that are organized and financed bottom-up by groups of firms. Both approaches are compared from a theoretical and empirical perspective, pointing out differing patterns of effects, relative strengths and weaknesses. Realization of these differences, considered in relation to regional preconditions and objectives, may help to adequately institutionalize cluster support.     

‘Energy regions’: The transformative power of regional discourses on socio-technical futures

‘Guiding visions’ play an important role in the transition management approach as a central means of mobilizing social actors and the co-ordination of dispersed agency.‘Energy regions’ in Austria are an interesting example for the strategic promotion of such guiding visions in the context of regional development. We describe the case of Murau, an alpine district in which a strong actor network has been built around a vision of systematically exploiting renewable energy sources and at the same time saving the region from economic decay. The vision gained much authority and has been institutionalised at various levels of regional governance. It furthermore was supported by and played an important role for regime level attempts to influence socio-technical change.Development and social propagation of such visions are inherently political and contested processes involving much strategizing and anticipation of conflict. We describe particular discursive strategies applied in niches - such as the combination and translation of sentiments into localised visions and demonstrations of feasibility. These strategies can be understood as systematic attempts to support discursive shifts at regime level by means of local activities, and aim to modify rather durable power structures.We suggest ways to analyse such discursive practices in order to orient strategic action in the course of such processes: analysing ‘guiding visions’ and their interference with other emerging trends; extending analyses across spatial scales (e.g. translations) and across thematic fields (e.g. convergence of agendas); and focusing on processes of stabilisation, institutionalisation and mutually reinforcing developments.     

Stability of stochastic neural networks of neutral type with Markovian jumping parameters: A delay-fractioning approach

This paper deals with the stochastically asymptotic stability in the mean square for a new class of stochastic neural networks of neutral type with both Markovian jump parameters and mixed time delays. The jumping parameters are modeled as a continuous-time, finite-state Markov chain. Based on the Lyapunov–Krasovskii functional, stochastic analysis theory and the delay-fractioning approach, the stochastically asymptotic stability of the considered neural network has been achieved by solving some linear matrix inequalities, which can be easily facilitated by using the standard numerical software. The obtained results are shown to be much less conservative via constructing a new Lyapunov–Krasovskii functional and the idea of “delay fractioning”. Finally, four numerical examples are provided to show the effectiveness of the proposed method.     

技术流动、创新网络对区域创新能力的影响研究

基于中国2013-2018年的省级面板数据,构建模型讨论了区域创新网络、高技术企业技术流动对区域创新能力的作用机制,进一步分析了不同创新网络水平地区,高技术企业技术流动对区域创新发展的作用力,利用门槛回归探究了随着区域网络水平的演进,技术市场中高技术企业技术输出和吸纳的变化态势。实证结果表明：（1）区域创新网络、高技术企业技术输出和技术吸纳均有助于区域创新能力的提升,但作用机制和强度不同;（2）相对创新网络欠发达地区,在创新网络发达地区的高技术企业的技术创新具有正向的自我强化机制,但创新网络的作用力稍弱;（3）无论创新网络发达/欠发达地区,高技术企业技术吸纳对区域创新能力的促进作用均大于技术输出;（4）随着创新网络水平的提升,高技术企业技术流动对区域创新能力的影响作用逐渐减弱。     

Network dynamics in regional clusters: Evidence from Chile

A wealth of empirical literature shows that one of elements of success for regional clusters is that they facilitate the formation of local inter-organizational networks, which act as conduits of knowledge and innovation. While several studies analyse the benefits and characteristics of regional cluster networks, very little is known about how such networks evolve over time and the extent to which their dynamics can affect development processes. Using longitudinal data on a wine cluster in Chile and Stochastic Actor-Oriented Models (SAOM) to measure network dynamics, this paper examines the microdynamics underpinning the formation of new knowledge ties among wineries. It finds that the coexistence of cohesion effects (reciprocity and transitivity) with the weak knowledge bases of some firms in the cluster contribute to a stable informal hierarchical network structure over time. The empirical results have implications for theories on network dynamics in regional clusters and cluster policies.     

在华外资研发与区域自主创新的生态共演研究

基于生态观的技术创新范式已为学界所认可,而跨国公司全球研发战略及研发本地化则有利于区域创新生态的形成、转型与升级。对外资企业在华研发网络布局进行调研;借助质化研究及扎根理论分析,通过数据的三级编码提炼出在华外资研发生态网络特征、生态嵌入及其与自主创新生态依存共生、协同演进的核心范畴;揭示了外资研发克服约束条件实现产业生态、商业生态和文化生态嵌入的路径;构建外资研发生态与区域自主创新生态的共演模型,刻画区域创新生态系统“双重子系统”协同演化的内在规律。提出有助于研发机构网络管理及政府生态创新政策优化的对策建议。     

Entrepreneurial innovativeness: When too little or too much agglomeration hurts

This study sheds light on the relationship between agglomeration, entrepreneurs' internal resources and capabilities, and new ventures' innovativeness using a multilevel framework. We argue that the urban agglomeration of economic agents within a country has an inverted U-shaped relationship with new ventures' innovativeness, suggesting that both insufficient and excessive agglomeration might be detrimental to entrepreneurial innovativeness. Additionally, we perform interactions between individual level factors and urban agglomeration to examine the differential effects of entrepreneurs' internal resources and capabilities. Results confirm our hypothesising that the geographical concentration of economic agents within a country exerts an inverted U-shaped influence on new ventures' innovativeness. Furthermore, we find that entrepreneurs with higher levels of education or prior entrepreneurial experience are better equipped to benefit from agglomeration and to mitigate its negative effects; in contrast, at low levels of agglomeration, entrepreneurs with lower resources exhibit increasing marginal returns. Entrepreneurs in contact with other entrepreneurs are better positioned to deal with agglomeration externalities although their benefits and drawbacks are intensified. Our research contributes to the understanding of agglomeration externalities and entrepreneurial innovativeness, its non-linear dynamics and differential effects.     

Networks of inventors and the role of academia: an exploration of Italian patent data

This paper proposes a quantitative analysis of social distance between Open Science and Proprietary Technology. A few general properties of social networks within both realms are discussed, as they emerge from the new economics of science and recent applied work on “small worlds”. A new data-set on patent inventors is explored, in order to show that social networks within Proprietary Technology are much more fragmented than Open Science ones, except for science-based technologies. Two propositions are then put forward on the “open” behaviour expected from academic inventors, namely university scientists getting involved in Proprietary Technology networks by signing patents. Both propositions are confirmed by data, which show academic inventors to be more central and better connected than non-academic ones. The database and methodology produced for this paper are suggested to be relevant for the more general debate on the role of geographical and cognitive distance in university-industry technology transfer.     

学习、集群化与区域创新体系

技术创新的实质是知识创造与应用过程,技术创新的成功不仅取决于企业内部研究开发活动,更重要的是取决于企业与其他机构之间的相互作用。在此,从进化理论出发,认为学习是企业技术创新能力提高的核心,通过集群化可以改善学习效果,并且以区域创新体系促进区域整体创新能力及竞争力的提高。     

我国技术创新能力的地区差异分析:框架、指标与评价

为了缩小我国经济发展的区域差距,落后地区必须大力推进技术创新,通过不断提升自身的技术创新能力,最终促进经济的快速发展.由此,提出区域技术创新能力的分析框架、指标体系,并利用现有统计资料,对各地区技术创新能力作出评估,以期为西部地区技术经济政策的制定和区域管理提供参考.     

Government support for SME innovations in the regional industries: The case of government financial support program in South Korea

This study explores the impact of governmental support policies on the innovation of SMEs in the regional strategic industries in South Korea. We use the technological development assistance funds as a proxy for governmental support policies for SMEs in the regional industries in Korea. The innovation of SMEs is measured by technological innovation: patent, utility model, trademark, and new design registrations. Before empirically testing the impact of governmental support policies on the innovation of SMEs, this study reviews the literature concerning the innovation and the governmental support policies of SMEs in regional industries. Results from empirical models, which simultaneously control for factors which were thought to affect the innovation of regional SMEs, indicate that a positive relationship exists among the technological development assistance by the Korean government and patent acquisitions and new design registrations of regional SMEs. Networks with universities also have a positive relationship with patent acquisitions and new design registrations of regional SMEs. This study suggests there is an importance to governmental financial aids for regional SME innovations, and there is an importance to the need to build a strong social relationship in today's networked economy.     

官员调整、政绩竞赛与技术创新

以长三角地区26个城市为样本,选取地方官员调整这一独特视角,利用2007-2016年间各城市市长数据,结合各城市三种类型专利申请受理数,构建动态面板数据模型,系统地考察了官员调整对辖区内技术创新活动的影响。研究结果表明,官员调整有助于地方的技术创新,能够使辖区内的专利申请数增加0.231个百分点,且这种影响具有超前效应。当新任市长第一学历为全日制本科或为非本地籍贯时,官员调整对技术创新的促进作用更显著;当新任市长未临近退休时,官员调整对技术创新的促进作用更大;当离任市长为长期任职时,官员调整对技术创新的促进作用更显著。进一步研究发现：官员调整对技术创新的促进作用主要来自于集中换届期;进入经济结构性减速时期之后,官员调整对技术创新的促进作用更加明显。此外,官员调整对技术创新的影响还表现出地域差异,即这种促进作用在普通地级市中表现得较弱。本文对于从地方官员调整视角和微观层面理解技术创新及地方政府落实创新驱动发展战略具有一定的参考价值。     

Analysis of sources of innovation, technological innovation capabilities, and performance: An empirical study of Hong Kong manufacturing industries

The concept of the regional innovation system (RIS) has been developed into an important framework for evaluating innovation performance. The study reported in this paper explores the relationship between the RIS and the firm's innovation system (FIS) according to the basic premise that firms that better utilize sources of information (SI) available within their regional innovation system (RIS) perform better due effect this has in enhancing the firm's technological innovation capabilities (TICs). The different innovation capabilities of a firm are regarded as the key components of the firm's innovation system. The sources of information available within an RIS include external sources (EXT) and external expert organizations, the latter of which are referred to as knowledge-intensive business services (KIBS). This study also explores the dual role of KIBS as both sources of and bridges for innovation in the RIS. Data were obtained through a mailed survey using a self-administered questionnaire. The utilization concept and the dual role of KIBS were verified. The results show that externally available information affects all innovation capabilities of the firm, while external expert organizations affect only the firm's R&D and resources allocation capabilities. This study contributes to the RIS literature by providing empirical evidence on how firms can interact with the RIS by utilizing SI to enhance their TICs and achieve global competitiveness.     

高技术企业创业的成功因素

通过对美国及德国的十多年研究表明,对于创新及合作网络的投资有利于促进高技术行业企业不断进步和发展.这些高技术行业包括电信、电脑设备及生物工艺的行业.研究表明政府政策在促进竞争及支持地区合作网络发展中起到了极其重要的作用.     

Innovation modes in the Swiss service sector: a cluster analysis based on firm-level data

The aim of this paper is, firstly, to contribute to the understanding of innovation patterns in services. To this end, firms which are similar in terms of a large set of innovation indicators were grouped into clusters. For the Swiss case, it was possible to identify five clusters which exhibit clearly different configurations of a large number of innovation-related factors (appropriability, etc.) and several structural properties of firms (size, etc.). The clusters may thus be interpreted as specific “innovation modes”. Secondly, we investigated whether these modes are “economically equivalent”. In such a case, the unordered classifying of similar firms would be more appropriate than the ranking of industries according to their innovativeness. The evidence supports the classification approach quite well; however, the ranking procedure cannot be completely refuted. Finally, this paper yields some insights into the differences between the innovation patterns prevailing in services and in manufacturing.     

Differential empirical innovation factors for Spain and the UK

This study considers the role of national differences, derived from structural characteristics in each country, and how they impact on companies’ innovation. To do this we include in a firm-level empirical model of innovation traditional factors impacting on innovation, and measure any differences in these determinants between two countries: the UK (comprising more advanced regions) and Spain (which belongs to the “follower” groups of countries in Europe). Using the European Community Innovation Surveys (CIS4), we select two samples comprising private manufacturing firms and estimate a two-step Heckman model to explain firms’ innovation. Our results suggest that Spanish firms are at a different stage, with Spain lagging behind the UK in terms of being able to benefit from R&D. Thus in Spain, we find that public support is more important in promoting innovation activities; whereas linkages with international markets are more important for companies in the UK. Based on our results, we would argue that in order to reduce the technological gap between these two countries regional policies to promote innovation in Spain should concentrate more on the promotion of market relationships between co-located firms; while a greater exposure to internationalisation would benefit both countries.