Boschma R. A. (2005) Proximity and innovation: a critical assessment, Regional Studies39, 61-74. A key issue in economic geography is to determine the impact of geographical proximity on interactive learning and innovation. We argue that the importance of geographical proximity cannot be assessed in isolation, but should always be examined in relation to other dimensions of proximity that may provide alternative solutions to the problem of coordination. We claim that geographical proximity per se is neither a necessary nor a sufficient condition for learning to take place. Nevertheless, it facilitates interactive learning, most likely by strengthening the other dimensions of proximity. However, proximity may also have negative impacts on innovation due to the problem of lock-in. Accordingly, not only too little, but also too much proximity may be detrimental to interactive learning and innovation. This may be the case for all five dimensions of proximity discussed in the paper, i.e. cognitive, organizatio...

Proximity and Innovation: A Critical Assessment

Trust: The Social Virtues and the Creation of Prosperity

This handbook looks to provide academics and students with a comprehensive and holistic understanding of the phenomenon of innovation. Innovation spans a number of fields within the social sciences and humanities: Management, Economics, Geography, Sociology, Politics, Psychology, and History. Consequently, the rapidly increasing body of literature on innovation is characterized by a multitude of perspectives based on, or cutting across, existing disciplines and specializations. Scholars of innovation can come from such diverse starting points that much of this literature can be missed, and so constructive dialogues missed. The editors of The Oxford Handbook of Innovation have carefully selected and designed twenty-one contributions from leading academic experts within their particular field, each focusing on a specific aspect of innovation. These have been organized into four main sections, the first of which looks at the creation of innovations, with particular focus on firms and networks. Section Two provides an account of the wider systematic setting influencing innovation and the role of institutions and organizations in this context. Section Three explores some of the diversity in the working of innovation over time and across different sectors of the economy, and Section Four focuses on the consequences of innovation with respect to economic growth, international competitiveness, and employment. An introductory overview, concluding remarks, and guide to further reading for each chapter, make this handbook a key introduction and vital reference work for researchers, academics, and advanced students of innovation. Contributors to this volume - Jan Fagerberg, University of Oslo William Lazonick, INSEAD Walter W. Powell, Stanford University Keith Pavitt, SPRU Alice Lam, Brunel University Keith Smith, INTECH Charles Edquist, Linkoping David Mowery, University of California, Berkeley Mary O'Sullivan, INSEAD Ove Granstrand, Chalmers Bjorn Asheim, University of Lund Rajneesh Narula, Copenhagen Business School Antonello Zanfei, Urbino Kristine Bruland, University of Oslo Franco Malerba, University of Bocconi Nick Von Tunzelmann, SPRU Ian Miles, University of Manchester Bronwyn Hall, University of California, Berkeley Bart Verspagen , ECIS Francisco Louca, ISEG Manuel M. Godinho, ISEG Richard R. Nelson, Mario Pianta, Urbino Bengt-Ake Lundvall, Aalborg

The Oxford Handbook of Innovation

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

Sectoral systems of innovation and production

The origin of this Special Issue of European Planning Studies lies in an RSA conference on “Regional Growth Agendas” at Aalborg University, 28–31 May 2005. We were invited to be managers of the “En...

Key Drivers of Contemporary Innovation and Creativity

Design-Driven Regional Innovation

Problems of Systemic Learning Transfer and Innovation - Industrial Liaison and Academic Entrepreneurship in Wales

In this chapter, a new knowledge-based theory of economic geography is worked out utilising a variety of economic indicators regarding the medical biotechnology sector and bioscientific knowledge metrics. It will be shown that biotechnology has proved something of a pioneer sector that other industries emulate for its innovative industry organisation. The medical biotechnology sector is only one of the bioscientific ‘family’ that together account for a significant share of GDP in the advanced countries, and a growing share in countries such as India and China. Within such sectors, which include agro-food, energy and environmental biotechnology, sub-sectors such as bioprocessing,1 bioengineering, bioinformatics, bioimaging and so on are also growing in significance in certain regional economies. It is a science-driven, knowledge-intensive and widely applicable group of interacting platforms that are already evolving certain pervasive characteristics for different functions, including health and safety testing and standardisation (bioanalysis), civil and military security (DNA fingerprinting, biometrics) and applications in mechanical, electronic and civil engineering (nanobiotechnology) rather as ICT became pervasive during the 1990s. To that extent they have the character of platform technologies and even general purpose technologies as discussed by inter alia Helpman (1998). Traditional natural resource-based theories in economic geography explained the microeconomics of agglomerative economic activity relatively well. However, knowledge-based economic growth is less easy to explain and predict, although there are some aspects of knowledge economy agglomerations that are less uncertain than others. Thus the chapter is able to point with reasonable confidence at the leading global bioregions and offer a rationale for their current prominence. However, such regions may be said to arise through a process not of direct

Philip Cooke

Papers

Key Drivers of Contemporary Innovation and Creativity

Design-Driven Regional Innovation

Problems of Systemic Learning Transfer and Innovation - Industrial Liaison and Academic Entrepreneurship in Wales

Biotechnology Dynamics at the Global Scale

From state to market via corruption: universities in an era of privatization