Showing papers by "Philip Cooke published in 1998"

The Associational Economy: Firms, Regions, and Innovation

Abstract: Proposes a model for economic development, the associational model, as a third way between state planning and market-driven approaches to development. The associational model correlates high capabilities in social interaction and communication, particularly in the forms of high trust, learning capacity, and networking competence, with the economic and social success of a firm. As the process of innovation becomes increasingly collaborative, this social capital can be decisive to the outcome. Because much collaboration involves tacit knowledge, that is, knowledge that has not been put into a tradeable or expressible form, successful collaboration requires personal interaction and shared experiences. Accordingly, the importance of less hierarchical corporate governance forms and local and regional milieux emerge. The consequence of these trends is the ascendancy of the region as the locus of learning and collaboration that drive innovation. Four regional case studies are presented: Baden-Wurttemberg, Emilia-Romagna, Wales, and the Basque Country. The final chapter traces the intellectual roots of the authors' study - the ideas of Schumpeter, Veblen, Marx, and Hayek - and concludes with a sketch of how an associational approach may be implemented by policy makers. (CAR)

Regional Systems of Innovation: An Evolutionary Perspective

Abstract: The authors develop the concept of regional systems of innovation and relate it to preexisting research on national systems of innovation They argue that work conducted in the ‘new regional science’ field is complementary to systems of innovation approaches They seek to link new regional work to evolutionary economics, and argue for the development of evolutionary regional science Common elements of interest to evolutionary innovation research and new regional science are important in understanding processes of agglomeration, trust building, innovation, institutions, and learning in regional systems The authors develop analytical frameworks for designating regional systems of innovation in terms of distinction between institutions and organisations, hard and soft infrastructures, and the cultural superstructure They conclude that an evolutionary approach assists understanding of regional potential for developing systemic innovation

Introduction: Origins of the Concept

Abstract: Reviews the theoretical and empirical study of the regional innovation system (RIS), serving as an introduction to a collection of essays on the notion. Though there has been an upsurge surrounding the study of national systems of innovation since the 1980s, it was not until 1992 that the term 'regional innovation system' came into use. The RIS is characterized by economic coordination emphasizing the importance of cultural factors, including trust, cooperation, and social network relationships. A typology of regional innovation systems is formulated, drawing on regional science and innovation studies, and rejecting the neoclassical explanation in favor of an evolutionary theory of economics. This formulation includes analysis of grassworks, network, dirigiste, localist, interactive, and globalized RIS, as well as the key roles of governance and business innovation. In contrast to neoclassical theory, which posits the firm as a homogenous, atomistic unit of rational utility maximization, in evolutionary economics the firm is differentiated, making use of heterogeneous inputs, and learns through the double feedback loop of assessing its own experience and the experience of peers. The process of innovation becomes systematic as it develops within clusters of inter-firm relationships. 'Learning by doing,' 'learning by using' and 'learning by interaction' are three complementary approaches to instilling a learning culture in industry -- that is, a culture characterized by institutional, cooperative learning that leads to innovative progress. Policy should serve as the infrastructure reinforcing this learning economy by supporting linkages between society and economy. Finally, to set up the question of the region's importance to economics in the age of globalization that will be explored in later essays in this book, the region is defined as a system of collective order maintained through trust and reliability, rather than, at it has traditionally been defined, an area characterized by economic specificity, administrative homogeneity, and shared culture. The other essays in this book are organized intto three categories: market-driven and informal coordination, network governance, and the impact of public policies. (CJC)

Dimensiones de un sistema de innovación regional: organizaciones e instituciones

Abstract: Este articulo analiza la aparicion, en los ultimos tiempos, de una nueva teoria regional caracterizada por unos elementos analiticos innovadores. En esta nueva aproximacion se reconoce la importancia de la configuracion de redes formales e informales entre organizaciones administrativas, politicas, educativas, de ciencia y empresariales en una atmosfera de confianza que permite minimizar costes de transaccion de la economia en su conjunto. El "perfil cultural" de la region y la importancia asignada al marco institucional integrado por rutinas, habitos, normas y convenciones se consideran elementos centrales no solo para la comprension de la dinamica de desarrollo regional sino tambien para la elaboracion de politicas que contribuyan a la mejora de la innovacion y la competitividad regional. Los autores concluyen que, para alcanzar un resultado que mejore la innovacion generada por la dinamica relacional entre los diversos agentes que integran el sistema regional, es preciso que las politicas y las infraestructuras que provienen de ese generador de energia mecanica procedente del lado administrativo, puedan incentivar e incluso compensar los deficits que existan en ese otro conjunto generador de procesos culturales e institucionales permanentemente cambiantes.