IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/sae/urbstu/v50y2013i2p276-293.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The Relational Geography of the Knowledge Economy in Germany: On Functional Urban Hierarchies and Localised Value Chain Systems

Author

Listed:
  • Stefan Lüthi
  • Alain Thierstein
  • Michael Bentlage

Abstract

The objective of this contribution is to set out a theoretical context and then to investigate empirically Germany’s functional urban hierarchy based on the relational geography of the knowledge economy. Starting from a conceptual background that brings together the locational behaviour of multibranch, multilocation firms with a value chain approach, it looks at the extent to which this hierarchy is associated with the networking activities of advanced producer services and high-tech firms. The results provide evidence that the functional urban hierarchy in the German space economy is steeper than is claimed by the federal government. A maximum of six polycentric mega-city regions—Munich, Rhine-Main, Hamburg, Rhine-Ruhr, Stuttgart and to a lesser extent Berlin—can be regarded as strategic nodes in the global knowledge economy. A non-nested hierarchy with overlapping and trans-scalar urban networks challenges the traditional view of a nested hierarchy as an organising principle of space.

Suggested Citation

  • Stefan Lüthi & Alain Thierstein & Michael Bentlage, 2013. "The Relational Geography of the Knowledge Economy in Germany: On Functional Urban Hierarchies and Localised Value Chain Systems," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 50(2), pages 276-293, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:urbstu:v:50:y:2013:i:2:p:276-293
    DOI: 10.1177/0042098012452325
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0042098012452325
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1177/0042098012452325?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Briant, A. & Combes, P.-P. & Lafourcade, M., 2010. "Dots to boxes: Do the size and shape of spatial units jeopardize economic geography estimations?," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 67(3), pages 287-302, May.
    2. Stefan Luethi & Alain Thierstein & Michael Bentlage, 2011. "Interlocking firm networks in the German knowledge economy. On local networks and global connectivity," ERSA conference papers ersa10p120, European Regional Science Association.
    3. James Simmie, 2003. "Innovation and Urban Regions as National and International Nodes for the Transfer and Sharing of Knowledge," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 37(6-7), pages 607-620.
    4. Andy Pike, 2007. "Editorial: Whither Regional Studies?," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 41(9), pages 1143-1148.
    5. Bart Lambregts, 2008. "Geographies of Knowledge Formation in Mega-City Regions: Some Evidence from the Dutch Randstad," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 42(8), pages 1173-1186.
    6. Ash Amin & Patrick Cohendet, 2004. "Architectures of knowledge : Firms, capabilities, and communities," Post-Print hal-00279605, HAL.
    7. Ron Boschma, 2005. "Proximity and Innovation: A Critical Assessment," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 39(1), pages 61-74.
    8. Andre Torre & Alain Rallet, 2005. "Proximity and Localization," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 39(1), pages 47-59.
    9. Simin Davoudi, 2003. "EUROPEAN BRIEFING: Polycentricity in European spatial planning: from an analytical tool to a normative agenda," European Planning Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 11(8), pages 979-999, December.
    10. Peter Hall, 2009. "Looking Backward, Looking Forward: The City Region of the Mid-21st Century," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 43(6), pages 803-817.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Madeleine Wagner & Anna Growe, 2023. "Medium-Sized Towns in the Knowledge Economy—Towards a Systematic Classification," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(2), pages 1-21, January.
    2. Stefan Lüthi & Alain Thierstein & Michael Hoyler, 2015. "The world city network: national versus global perspective," ERSA conference papers ersa15p66, European Regional Science Association.
    3. Tuba Yak?c? Ayan & Hakan Pabuçcu, 2018. "The assessment of knowledge economy efficiency: comparing Turkey with the European Union countries," Zbornik radova Ekonomskog fakulteta u Rijeci/Proceedings of Rijeka Faculty of Economics, University of Rijeka, Faculty of Economics and Business, vol. 36(2), pages 443-464.
    4. Florian W. Bartholomae & Chang Woon Nam & Alina Schoenberg, 2017. "Urban Resurgence as a Consumer City: A Case Study for Weimar in Eastern Germany," CESifo Working Paper Series 6610, CESifo.
    5. Akhavan, Mina & Ghiara, Hilda & Mariotti, Ilaria & Sillig, Cécile, 2020. "Logistics global network connectivity and its determinants. A European City network analysis," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 82(C).
    6. Kirsten Martinus & Matthew Tonts, 2015. "Powering the world city system: energy industry networks and interurban connectivity," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 47(7), pages 1502-1520, July.
    7. Alain Thierstein & Sven Conventz, 2014. "Hub Airports, the knowledge economy and how close is close? Evidence from Europe," ERSA conference papers ersa14p413, European Regional Science Association.
    8. Eduardo Rodrigues Sanguinet & Francisco de Borja García-García, 2023. "Rural-Urban Linkages: Regional Financial Business Services’ Integration into Chilean Agri-Food Value Chains," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(14), pages 1-22, July.
    9. Nikolay A. Sluka & Vladimir S. Tikunov & Olga Yu. Chereshnia, 2019. "The Geographical Size Index for Ranking and Typology of Cities," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 144(2), pages 981-997, July.
    10. Xiaowen Li & Yiming Tan & Desheng Xue, 2022. "From World Factory to Global City-Region: The Dynamics of Manufacturing in the Pearl River Delta and Its Spatial Pattern in the 21st Century," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(5), pages 1-19, April.
    11. Richard Shearmur & David Doloreux, 2015. "Central places or networks? Paradigms, metaphors, and spatial configurations of innovation-related service use," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 47(7), pages 1521-1539, July.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Alain Thierstein & Stefan Lüthi, 2012. "Interlocking Firm Networks in the German Knowledge Economy: The Case of the Emerging Mega-city Region of Munich," Chapters, in: Marina van Geenhuizen & Peter Nijkamp (ed.), Creative Knowledge Cities, chapter 13, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    2. Michael Bentlage & Alain Thierstein & Stefan Lüthi, 2011. "Intra firm and extra firm networks in the German knowledge economy. Economic development of German agglomerations from a relational perspective," ERSA conference papers ersa11p998, European Regional Science Association.
    3. Stefan Luethi & Alain Thierstein & Michael Bentlage, 2011. "Interlocking firm networks in the German knowledge economy. On local networks and global connectivity," ERSA conference papers ersa10p120, European Regional Science Association.
    4. Sajjad Jasimuddin & Jun Li & Nicholas Perdikis, 2015. "Linkage between geographic space and knowledge transfer by multinational enterprises: a structural equation approach," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 54(3), pages 769-795, May.
    5. Mariacristina Piva & Massimiliano Tani & Marco Vivarelli, 2023. "The productivity impact of short-term labor mobility across industries," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 60(2), pages 691-705, February.
    6. Herstad, Sverre J. & Aslesen, Heidi Wiig & Ebersberger, Bernd, 2014. "On industrial knowledge bases, commercial opportunities and global innovation network linkages," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 43(3), pages 495-504.
    7. Broström, Anders, 2010. "Working with distant researchers--Distance and content in university-industry interaction," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(10), pages 1311-1320, December.
    8. Juan Eduardo Chica & Carlos Marmolejo, 2016. "Knowledge economy and metropolitan growth: Barcelona and Helsinki metropolitan areas as case studies," International Journal of Knowledge-Based Development, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 7(1), pages 22-42.
    9. Der-Shiuan Lee & Breandán Ó Huallacháin, 2012. "Spatial Network-based and Regional Proximity in US Biotechnology," Chapters, in: Marina van Geenhuizen & Peter Nijkamp (ed.), Creative Knowledge Cities, chapter 12, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    10. Nilsson, Magnus & Mattes, Jannika, 2015. "The spatiality of trust: Factors influencing the creation of trust and the role of face-to-face contacts," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 33(4), pages 230-244.
    11. Rachel Bocquet & Caroline Mothe, 2010. "Knowledge governance within clusters: the case of small firms," Knowledge Management Research & Practice, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 8(3), pages 229-239, September.
    12. Franz Tödtling & Christoph Höglinger & Markus Grillitsch, 2012. "Knowledge relations and innovation from a regional perspective," Chapters, in: Roberta Capello & Tomaz Ponce Dentinho (ed.), Networks, Space and Competitiveness, chapter 5, pages 107-134, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    13. Gernot Grabher & Alice Melchior & Benjamin Schiemer & Elke Schüßler & Jörg Sydow, 2018. "From being there to being aware: Confronting geographical and sociological imaginations of copresence," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 50(1), pages 245-255, February.
    14. Rune Fitjar & Andrés Rodríguez-Pose, 2013. "The geographical dimension of innovation collaboration: Collaboration and innovation in Norway," ERSA conference papers ersa13p878, European Regional Science Association.
    15. Breandán hUallacháin & Der-Shiuan Lee, 2014. "Urban centers and networks of co-invention in American biotechnology," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 52(3), pages 799-823, May.
    16. Rune Dahl Fitjar & Andrés Rodríguez-Pose, 2014. "The geographical dimension of innovation collaboration: Networking and innovation in Norway," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 51(12), pages 2572-2595, September.
    17. Anne Lorentzen, 2005. "The spatial dimensions of innovation," ERSA conference papers ersa05p312, European Regional Science Association.
    18. Haitao Ma & Yingcheng Li & Xiaodong Huang, 2021. "Proximity and the evolving knowledge polycentricity of megalopolitan science: Evidence from China’s Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, 1990–2016," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 58(12), pages 2405-2423, September.
    19. Cristina Chaminade & Monica Plechero, 2015. "Do Regions Make a Difference? Regional Innovation Systems and Global Innovation Networks in the ICT Industry," European Planning Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 23(2), pages 215-237, February.
    20. Ouellet, F. & Mundler, P. & Dupras, J. & Ruiz, J., 2020. "“Community developed and farmer delivered.” An analysis of the spatial and relational proximities of the Alternative Land Use Services program in Ontario," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 95(C).

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:sae:urbstu:v:50:y:2013:i:2:p:276-293. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: SAGE Publications (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.gla.ac.uk/departments/urbanstudiesjournal .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.