Showing papers in "European Planning Studies in 2007"
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present a framework in which the relationship between geographical and organizational proximity is conceptualized in a way that is somewhat different from previous contributions, notably by the French School on Proximity.
Abstract: What role do various kinds of proximity play in the current and projected development of peripheral areas? In summarizing and drawing conclusions from this special issue on proximity, this paper elaborates on two core notions of proximity, geographical and organizational. It presents a framework in which the relationship between geographical and organizational proximity is conceptualized in a way that is somewhat different from previous contributions, notably by the French School on Proximity. The framework is used to evaluate the outcomes of the various contributions in this issue. The findings endorse the idea that economic performance relies more on localized capacities to build “global” connections, complemented with an adequate local resource base, than on local networking and clustering.
206 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors map out a theorem of regional advantage by integrating and exploiting a range of assets from economic strengths to knowledge assets, good governance and creativity, and propose appropriate policy platforms that mix variable policy instruments in an integrated and judicious manner.
Abstract: It has become clear that the idea of regional learning is an inadequate way of evolving regional economic development because of numerous problems of composition or utilizing samples of one, learning legacies and delays and impossibility of repeat experience. So, perforce, to offset regional imbalances responsible agencies are having to explore solutions endogenously in greater measure. This means constructing regional advantage, not an easy thing to do, by integrating and exploiting a range of assets from economic strengths to knowledge assets, good governance and creativity. Of great importance in this is seeking to promote “related variety” among economic activities. Single innovations diffuse swiftly across technology “platforms” into related industries because absorptive capacity is high among them. The key trick in constructing regional advantage is designing appropriate policy platforms that mix variable policy instruments in an integrated and judicious manner. This paper maps out a theore...
162 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors analyse the metropolisation of the European economic territory with regard to the increasing specialisation of Europe's major urban regions on knowledge-intensive economic activities.
Abstract: The development of Europe's economic territory today can be characterised as a process of metropolisation of economic development potentials and innovation capacities. “Metropolisation” is a paraphrase for the selective concentration of research-intensive industries and knowledge-intensive services on metropolitan regions and major urban agglomerations. On this basis the metropolitan regions and urban agglomerations are functioning as the “motors” of the European economy. In this article the metropolisation of the European economic territory is being analysed with regard to the increasing specialisation of Europe's major urban regions on knowledge-intensive economic activities. Particular emphasis is being put on the different sectoral profiles and development paths of the European urban agglomerations' and metropolitan regions' knowledge-intensive economy. The result of this analysis is a differentiated representation of the developmental dynamics in the European Union urban system which allows ...
144 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors survey transnational city networks for sustainability to determine the substance of their work and the potentials for more efficient and successful implementation of sustainable development through networking, taking into account issues such as network organization, priorities, strategies, and communication methods as factors for success.
Abstract: This paper surveys transnational city networks for sustainability to determine the substance of their work and the potentials for more efficient and successful implementation of sustainable development through networking. It also analyses the challenges and limits of sustainability-oriented networking, taking into account issues such as network organization, priorities, strategies, and communication methods as factors for success. A wide breadth of goals and means characterizes sustainability networks although most are organized and maintained in a very similar fashion. The large gap existing between regions active in networking and others and the fact smaller, more regionally-oriented cities play a dominant role in sustainability-related networks demonstrate the latent potential of such networking and the unique dynamics at work.
133 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examined the features of successful forms of innovation in rural areas characterized by geographical distance and sparse population and found that the knowledge needed for innovation in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) stems from regional sources.
Abstract: This paper examines the features of successful forms of innovation in rural areas characterized by geographical distance and sparse population. The core questions are: how firms compensate for the lack of a dense local network; how rural clusters are emerging and changing; how firms acquire knowledge for innovation processes; how firms face the challenges of globalization, notably at the level of value chains. The topics will be examined through an analysis of the development of one agricultural area in northern Finland which has industrialized since the mid-1990s in the wake of the growth of the national information and communication technology (ICT) cluster. The findings reveal that the knowledge needed for innovation in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) stems from regional sources—clients of localized networks as well as regional educational and knowledge institutes—whereas the leading firms of the regional networks acquire knowledge from clients, non-local knowledge institutes and nat...
127 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examine the interplay of culture, creativity and city planning using the example of Copenhagen, Denmark and discuss potential changes to the planning system designed to facilitate Copenhagen's transformation to a creative city and points to the potential impacts of these.
Abstract: Culture and creativity as drivers of development are established features of the urban policy agenda. This article examines the interplay of culture, creativity and city planning using the example of Copenhagen, Denmark. Denmark presents an interesting example because whilst it has a tradition for linking culture with urban economic boosterism, recent research has suggested a social emphasis in its more contemporary urban cultural policies. The paper argues that the arrival of creativity upon the urban agenda has abruptly altered this policy context. Both culture and creativity have become central to attempts to stimulate the cultural and creative industries and to promote the city at an international level, attracting investment and the “Creative Class”. In tracing this development, the article discusses potential changes to the planning system designed to facilitate Copenhagen's transformation to a creative city and points to the potential impacts of these.
127 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors highlight the function of the innovation systems approach for policy conceptualization, focusing on the question how systems on different spatial scales, from the international over the national to the regional one, could be linked and coordinated for achieving positive effects.
Abstract: The conceptual discussion on innovation systems, emphasizing the importance of interaction between actors, institutions and policy elements for supporting technology-based economic development, has been marked by separate debates on issues of national, regional, international and sectoral systems for a long time. Recently researchers increasingly engage in logically connecting system scales which provides important insights into interdependencies. Theoretical considerations, however, have hardly been associated with ideas for application, despite the strong political value attached to the innovation systems idea by international organizations. This paper highlights the function of the innovation systems approach for policy conceptualization, focusing on the question how systems on different spatial scales—from the international over the national to the regional one—could be linked and coordinated for achieving positive effects. Major issues are which features of a national innovation system enabl...
112 citations
TL;DR: The authors examined regional inequalities in Turkey not only at the interprovincial level but for three different regional definitions as well, and found that most developed provinces are enhancing overall inequalities, although there is some evidence of a spread effect on their neighbours.
Abstract: In this paper, we examine regional inequalities in Turkey not only at the interprovincial level but for three different regional definitions as well. It has raised questions about inequalities not only between regions (interregional) but inequalities within each region. Hence, one contribution of this paper is to test the effects of aggregation and scale on the identification of regional inequalities using currently accepted spatial analytic methods. The results indicate that overall inequalities are decreasing; however spatial dependence is becoming more dominant. The Theil Index indicates that interregional inequalities are increasing while intraregional inequalities are declining for all spatial partitions from 1980 to 1997. Most developed provinces are enhancing overall inequalities, although there is some evidence of a spread effect on their neighbours.
97 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors explore the roots of territorial cohesion thinking in the "European model of society" and argue that the European model forms a solid basis for a highly competitive economy.
Abstract: This paper explores the roots of territorial cohesion thinking in the ‘European model of society’. There is much to do about this model. Some regard it as a liability for European competitiveness. The Barroso Commission wants to safeguard the model by, albeit temporarily, giving priority to growth. There are those – not only in Europe, but also on the other side of the Atlantic – arguing that the European model forms a solid basis for a highly competitive economy. In these debates, ‘European model’ stands for moderating the pursuit of economic growth with concerns for social welfare and equity, sustainability and good governance. Before elaborating, the paper summarises the discussion about territorial cohesion and the struggle over current EU policy. Then the paper backtracks to the ideas of Jacques Delors responsible for injecting the European model into the integration discourse. What follows is an account of four reports in the wake of the hapless Lisbon Strategy, all invoking the European mo...
94 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors used linear regression methods to analyse the data collected from Eurostat and national-regional data from all European Union countries and provided support for hypotheses 1, 3, 4 and 5.
Abstract: The problem of regional economic development is closely related to the ability of organizations in that region to innovate. Research has shown that this ability differs between regions and is even influenced by the characteristics of a region. The milieu of innovation thesis suggests that several different regional factors affect the innovativeness of a region. The hypotheses of this present research are based on this assumption. The innovation of a region depends on the following factors, all of which have a positive impact on regional innovativeness: (1) wealth, (2) the development of gross domestic product (GDP), (3) cultural diversity, (4) the talent of the population and (5) the density of the population. The research is based on data compiled from Eurostat and national-regional data from all European Union countries. We used linear regression methods to analyse the data. The data analysis provides support for hypotheses 1, 3, 4 and 5. That means that wealth, cultural diversity, talent and d...
91 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the role of transfer agents in the knowledge exchange among planners in a transnational expert networks of European planners at the level of cities is studied, highlighting the role role of academic and/or policy experts operating in communities in different policy arenas.
Abstract: Much of the recent academic literature on spatial planning in Europe focuses on either cross-national comparison of planning frameworks and planning practices or on transnational and transregional initiatives and their impact on planning in European countries. From those publications, it can be gleaned how similar themes are translated differentially in different national contexts. Although it is also a great source of European integration and harmonization, the phenomenon of the knowledge exchange within transnational expert networks of European planners at the level of cities has received less attention. In this paper, the knowledge exchange among planners in such a network is studied, highlighting the role of “transfer agents” (academic and/or policy experts operating in communities in different policy arenas) in the exchange process. It builds on the insights from existing literature on policy transfer and policy learning, and tries to add a new perspective on this body of literature from an ...
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examined the evolution of territorial imbalances in per capita income in Central and Eastern Europe regions between 1990 and 2001, and found that the distribution of personal income in these regions has been characterized by the simultaneous presence of between-country convergence and within-country divergence.
Abstract: This paper examines the evolution of territorial imbalances in per capita income in the Central and Eastern Europe regions between 1990 and 2001. In order to overcome the limitations of conventional convergence analysis, we have combined a non-parametric approach that allows us to study the dynamics of the entire cross-section distribution, with a series of theoretical results and measures taken from the literature on personal income distribution. The results obtained show an overall reduction in regional inequality over the study period. This process has been compatible with the simultaneous presence of between-country convergence and within-country divergence. Likewise, we have observed a reduction in the development gap between the sample regions and Western Europe. In any event, the polarization of the distribution under consideration has decreased, while the registered level of intra-distribution mobility is relatively low. Furthermore, the analysis highlights the important role played in ex...
TL;DR: In this article, the authors investigated the implications of global sourcing for the innovative capacity of the outsourcing company and argued that the loss of organizational proximity that is inherent in outsourcing is compounded by the increase in geographical distance.
Abstract: The main message of the proponents of strategic outsourcing is that it pays off to concentrate on the activities that you are good at. The result of specialization along the value chain will be a product that will be more competitive in terms of price, quality, and innovation. Globalization has many dimensions, but here we mainly want to consider the movement of manufacturing activities to low wage locations. In this paper we will investigate the implications of global sourcing for the innovative capacity of the outsourcing company. We will argue that these implications will be more pronounced in the case of global sourcing, because in that case the loss of organizational proximity that is inherent in outsourcing is compounded by the increase in geographical distance. The findings presented in this paper are the results from an ongoing research project on the relationships between research, development, and manufacturing against the background of increased global outsourcing of manufacturing. The...
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examined whether the interaction between the Yozma program and the technological incubators programme, reduced the drawbacks of narrow geographical distribution of high-tech activities and narrow technological diversification.
Abstract: This study deals with policy instruments supporting high-tech start-up activity. It is based on the Israeli experience with two specific government programmes: Yozma, which triggered the emergence of the venture capital industry, and the technological incubators programme. These programmes had significant impact on the development of the high-tech cluster in Israel. While venture capital has positive impact on the growth and strength of high-tech clusters, it has also significant drawbacks, such as narrow geographical distribution of high-tech activities and narrow technological diversification. In this study we will analyse whether the interaction between Yozma programme and the technological incubators programme, reduced these drawbacks. We will examine whether the technological incubators in peripheral areas in Israel succeeded in attracting high-tech start-up activity as well as venture capital investments, and whether the incubators were supporting more diversified technological fields than ...
TL;DR: In this article, the implications of these quantified targets, particularly with respect to their ability to contribute to meeting these twin objectives, are explored and their shortcomings and highlights implementation problems.
Abstract: Urban brownfield sites are a major planning concern across Europe, and most European countries have strategies to reuse them. In England and Germany, quantified targets for brownfield development have been set at the national level, with the twin objectives of furthering urban regeneration and reducing greenfield development. This paper explores the implications of these quantified targets, particularly with respect to their ability to contribute to meeting these twin objectives. It explores their shortcomings and highlights implementation problems.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors investigate the role of the region in the development of low-and medium-tech firms in a peripheral context of Poland and find that the regional focus is less fruitful when it comes to explaining the innovation pattern of individual firms today.
Abstract: The assumption that geographic proximity between innovating partners is of great importance is widely unquestioned and it has been documented by studies of high-tech areas in advanced countries. Until now, the pattern of cooperation among firms in low- and medium-tech industry in more peripheral locations has not been a subject of study to the same degree. This article sets out to question the rationales behind the territorial innovation theories, and, in particular, their views on the role of the region in the era of globalization. It is found that the regional focus is less fruitful when it comes to explaining the innovation pattern of individual firms today. Notions of proximity are particularly suited for identifying the spatial variety of inter-firm relations, in combination with notions of firm capabilities. Against this background, the article detects the pattern and role of knowledge sourcing of low- and medium-tech firms in a peripheral context of Poland. It sheds light on the capability...
TL;DR: In this paper, it is argued that the attempt to stem population loss from the city is at best fragile, despite a raft of policies now in place to support urban renaissance in England.
Abstract: In this paper we ask how a shrinking city responds when faced with a perforated urban fabric. Drawing on Manchester's response to its perforated eastern flank —and informed by a parallel study of Leipzig—we use the city's current approach to critique urban regeneration policy in England. Urban renaissance holds out the promise of delivering more sustainable—that is more compact, more inclusive and more equitable—cities. However, the Manchester study demonstrated that the attempt to stem population loss from the city is at best fragile, despite a raft of policies now in place to support urban renaissance in England. It is argued here that Manchester like Leipzig is likely to face an ongoing battle to attract residents back from their suburban hinterlands. This is especially true of the family market that we identify as being an important element for long-term sustainable population growth in both cities. We use the case of New East Manchester to consider how discourses linked to urban renaissance—...
TL;DR: In this article, the authors compare learning, knowledge flows and innovation processes in the high-tech clusters in four small Norwegian cities, which are specialized in hightech industries, and underline the importance of glocal (global and local) networks for the innovation capabilities of hightech firms in small regional clusters.
Abstract: This paper compares learning, knowledge flows and innovation processes in the high-tech clusters in four small Norwegian cities, which are specialized in high-tech industries. It addresses how the clusters have developed historically with important national stimuli and engagement, examines what existing knowledge sources and innovation networks the high-tech firms use and are integrated in, and identifies which of these are particularly locally rooted vis-a-vis relying more on global pipelines. The paper underlines the importance of glocal (global and local) networks for the innovation capabilities of high-tech firms in small regional clusters. However, it also critically examines the concepts of glocal networks and “local buzz and global pipelines”, and argues in particular for the need to take into account some other types of proximities and spatial levels that directly and indirectly are focused by these concepts. Thus, the national level is found to be central in initiating the building of cl...
TL;DR: In this article, the authors discuss to what extent the introduction of new technology, fashion and design, and control of distribution networks is changing the localized footwear production system in the North region of Portugal.
Abstract: Proximity is a key concept in the explanation of traditional and emergent production systems. Recently, the role of geographical proximity has been qualified on the basis of the argument that other types of proximity should also be taken into account in the explanation of innovation and, particularly, knowledge governance in production systems (e.g. sectoral innovation systems, global production networks, etc.). Drawing on in-depth research at the level of the company, this paper discusses to what extent the introduction of new technology, fashion and design, and control of distribution networks is changing the localized footwear production system in the North region of Portugal. The results indicate how leading innovative companies are developing distant spatial relationships in order to gain access to new critical knowledge using different strategies that are modifying the very nature of the spatial agglomeration. As new types of proximity emerge and new governance mechanisms are put in place, ...
TL;DR: The aim of creating a new cultural quarter in the industrial inner city area of Eastside represents a unique opportunity for the city to examine and learn from past lessons of the "cultural turn" in urban policy.
Abstract: Cultural planning and the development of cultural quarters has become a new orthodoxy in the revitalization of inner city industrial districts, yet this orthodoxy is now widely questioned as to whether it delivers on its promises. In Birmingham UK, the aim to create a new cultural quarter in the industrial inner city area of Eastside represents a unique opportunity for the city to examine and learn from past lessons of the “cultural turn” in urban policy. The article examines these lessons and whether the Eastside scheme is set to repeat the mistakes of the past
TL;DR: In this article, the authors argue that the present Danish urban policy and urban democracy can be characterized by a striking duality and tension between: (1) Participatory empowering welfare oriented community strategies, which targets deprived districts and neighbourhoods, which are based on notions of the inclusive city.
Abstract: The article argues that the present Danish urban policy and urban democracy can be characterized by a striking duality and tension between: (1) Participatory empowering welfare oriented community strategies, which targets deprived districts and neighbourhoods, which are based on notions of the inclusive city. This trend is founded on priorities of radical democracy, social justice, inclusion and citizens empowerment; (2) Neo-elitist/corporative market driven strategic regional and global growth strategies, which are based on notions of the Entrepreneurial Globalized City and where urban policy becomes a question of facilitation of the “growth machine” and neo-liberalized urban authoritarianism. The article discusses dilemmas for overcoming the growing tension between elitist neo-corporate growth regimes, which are in operation via “Quangoes” and closed elite networks, and community empowerment and welfare oriented policy in the age of globalization. Taking the stand of community empowerment and w...
TL;DR: In this article, a case study from Newcastle in the north-east of England is taken to consider recent developments which have begun to rebuild the regional innovation system, focusing on the commercialization community around the university, and how this community of geographically proximate but initially organizationally and cognately remote acto...
Abstract: Recent work in regional development has stressed the role of key economic actors in less favoured regions, particularly in high-technology sectors, in making those regions more attractive to outside investors. Of course, in less favoured regions (LFRs), there are rarely strong high-technology sectors able to reconfigure their local environment and provide the necessary local “buzz” to attract the attention of outside investors. In this paper, this issue is addressed by looking at how universities can play this role and have a broader systemic effect on the regional economic environment, by plugging gaps in the local regional innovation system. In this paper, a case study from Newcastle in the north-east of England is taken to consider recent developments which have begun to rebuild the regional innovation system. Focusing on the commercialization community around the university, it is looked at how this community of geographically proximate but initially organizationally and cognately remote acto...
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examined the development of the urban planning system in Tallinn from 1991, when Estonia re-established its independence from the Soviet Union, until 2004, and analyzed the planning laws and planning documents from the point of view of what kind of tools they provide for the public authority to intervene in urban development.
Abstract: The article examines the development of the urban planning system in Tallinn from 1991, when Estonia re-established its independence from the Soviet Union, until 2004. The planning laws and planning documents are analysed from the point of view of what kind of tools they provide for the public authority to intervene in urban development. It is argued that a liberal ad hoc urban planning that was established in the early 1990s is currently gradually being replaced by a more regulatory system where the rights of landowners are increasingly yet not always comprehensively defined in advance. Nonetheless, despite the recent revival of planning, the market still primarily dictates Tallinn's urban development.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examined the public and private sectors' understanding of a cluster's competitiveness and underlying strengths and weaknesses and what activities the cluster initiative should conduct to enhance the competitiveness of clusters.
Abstract: As clusters have developed from an analytical concept into a key policy tool, numerous cluster initiatives, or collaborative organizations designed to enhance the competitiveness of clusters, have been implemented across the globe. However, while research on clusters is abundant, research specifically focusing on these emerging organizations is scant to date. This paper analyzes one such cluster initiative and its cluster, and in particular examines to what degree the public and private sectors (1) have the same understanding of the cluster's competitiveness and underlying strengths and weaknesses and (2) what activities the cluster initiative should conduct.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors provide an overview of the development of Czech innovation policy which started to get its shape in the first years of the 21st century, and pay particular attention to the process through which the regionally-based innovation policy advocated by the European Union (EU) has been translated and adapted in the context of a new EU member state.
Abstract: The aim of the paper is to provide an overview of the development of Czech innovation policy which started to get its shape in the first years of the 21st century. The article traces its origins to a number of interlinked factors—the introduction of European regional policy in the Czech Republic, the increased inflow of foreign direct investment into R&D-intensive sectors and also the devolution of power to Czech regions that were established in 2001 and gave a new, regional dimension to research and innovation policy. It pays particular attention to the process through which the regionally-based innovation policy advocated by the European Union (EU) has been translated and adapted in the context of a new EU member state. As an illustration of the efforts at the regional level to make a better use of the potential of R&D and innovation in the regional development, a case study of a regional innovation strategy of the City of Prague is analysed. The City of Prague was selected for a critical analy...
TL;DR: The role of alliances with universities vis-a-vis alliances with industrial companies is emphasized in this article, where the importance of alliances as an innovation strategy utilized by US biotechnology firms is examined.
Abstract: This paper examines the importance of alliances as an innovation strategy utilized by US biotechnology firms. In doing so, the role of alliances with universities vis-a-vis alliances with industrial companies is emphasized. The biotechnology sector is dominated by few large and many small firms. The small firms are research focused or technology developers. Several large firms are now integrated biopharmaceutical companies. Very few small firms can survive without strengthening their relationships with universities, biotechnology or pharmaceutical or other large companies. These relationships range from licensing agreements, export–import connections to various forms of alliances for R&D, product development and marketing. Large firms supplement in-house R&D by acquiring research products and/or new technologies from small firms as well as universities. A survey of US biotechnology companies is used to show the emergence of alliance relationships, which continue to highlight university linkages, ...
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examine the capacity of the European Union to implement TPI and find that the administrative implications of implementing TPI are far more demanding than any of these actors are currently able to handle.
Abstract: The European Union (EU) is searching for new approaches to manage problems that span different policy sectors. In the regional policy field, incompatibilities between the EU's territorial development objectives and its transport, agricultural, competition and environmental policies, are well known. The need to integrate territorial policy concerns into these sectoral policies (territorial policy integration or “TPI”) has recently emerged as a key policy priority. This article examines the EU's capacity to implement TPI. It does so in relation to two member states (Germany and the Netherlands) and the European Commission. It finds that the administrative implications of implementing TPI are far more demanding than any of these actors are currently able to handle. Moreover, some EU-level networks are potentially relevant to TPI, but these are mostly focused on regional policy matters (i.e. they are relatively inward looking). If these administrative issues are not taken more seriously, “integration...
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors investigated the functional transformation and changes in land prices along the main street and surrounding neighbourhoods after the pedestrianisation of Beyoglu, and the factors which effect land prices are investigated by the use of regression analysis.
Abstract: This study investigates the revitalisation of the main street of Beyoglu, which was the westernised part of Istanbul's CBD in the nineteenth century. Beyoglu started to develop in the sixteenth century with the introduction of embassy buildings of European countries. Its development reached a climax during the nineteenth century as a result of increased European trade and cultural influence, remaining the most distinguished quarter of Istanbul until the 1960s. Thereafter, it suffered from decay, disinvestment and abandonment as a result of later suburbanisation and the multi-centre development of Istanbul. Revitalisation of the quarter started with the pedestrianisation of the main street. This study investigates the functional transformation and changes in land prices along the main street and surrounding neighbourhoods after the pedestrianisation. The factors which effect land prices are investigated by the use of regression analysis. According to the results, access to mass transit is the most...
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors analyzed the geographic distribution of venture investments in start-ups in Israel, using data for the period 1995-2004, and found that their location behavior differs from that of high-tech activities: they show a pattern of dispersed concentration, with high levels of concentration in focal places, but at a commuting distance from the main metropolis.
Abstract: This paper analyses the geographic distribution of venture investments in start-ups in Israel, using data for the period 1995–2004. The findings show that their location behaviour differs from that of high-tech activities: they show a pattern of “dispersed concentration” (as compared with a pattern of “concentrated concentration” of high-tech activity), with high levels of concentration in focal places, but at a commuting distance from the main metropolis. This is explained by the fact that venture investors also play the role of entrepreneurs and managers. The comparison between different types of venture investors shows that local venture capital funds lead to the heaviest concentration in the metropolis, in comparison with foreign venture investors. This heavy concentration of venture investments implies increasing regional gaps, with a minimal participation of peripheral regions, even those that enjoy some high-tech activity.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors introduce the Cyclic Innovation Model (CIM) as a framework to analyse system innovation and apply it to the case of thixomoulding, i.e. the development and exploitation of a revolutionary new material in the region of Flevoland, a province of the Netherlands.
Abstract: Innovation processes have changed significantly in the last four decades. Organizations no longer innovate on their own, aware that they need to decentralize their innovation activities and have to cooperate closely with other organizations in innovation systems. In this paper we discuss the spatial consequences of these developments, introducing the Cyclic Innovation Model (CIM) as a framework to analyse system innovation and applying it to the case of Thixomoulding, i.e. the development and exploitation of a revolutionary new material in the region of Flevoland, a province of the Netherlands.