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Place, Space and Distance: Towards a Geography of Knowledge-Intensive Business Services Innovation

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  • Richard Shearmur
  • David Doloreux

Abstract

Much has been written about the link between local networks and institutions, about place and territory, and the capacity to innovate. In this paper we set out to answer two questions, based upon a survey of 1,122 knowledge-intensive business service (KIBS) firms in the province of Quebec, Canada. First, do KIBS firms in different regions display different propensities to innovate? If so, this will be taken as prima facie evidence that there is some connection between local context and innovation. Second, can any regional level explanatory variables be found to explain the different levels of regional innovation? We find evidence that geographic patterns of innovation exist amongst KIBS firms in Quebec, although they are not those expected if there were a connection between local territory and innovation. We find that innovation first decreases with distance from the core of metropolitan areas, then, after 30-50 km, begins to increase again, though this pattern is not the same for all sub-sectors. This pattern is in keeping with recent theoretically derived expectations relating to the geography of innovation.

Suggested Citation

  • Richard Shearmur & David Doloreux, 2009. "Place, Space and Distance: Towards a Geography of Knowledge-Intensive Business Services Innovation," Industry and Innovation, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 16(1), pages 79-102.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:indinn:v:16:y:2009:i:1:p:79-102
    DOI: 10.1080/13662710902728001
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Feser, Daniel & Proeger, Till, 2015. "Knowledge-intensive business services as credence goods: A demand-side approach," University of Göttingen Working Papers in Economics 232, University of Goettingen, Department of Economics.
    2. Ana Paula Faria & Natália Barbosa & Vasco Eiriz, 2013. "Firms’ innovation across regions: an exploratory study," NIPE Working Papers 12/2013, NIPE - Universidade do Minho.
    3. Daniel Feser & Till Proeger, 2018. "Knowledge-Intensive Business Services as Credence Goods—a Demand-Side Approach," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 9(1), pages 62-80, March.
    4. Dioni Elche & Davide Consoli & Mabel Sánchez-Barrioluengo, 2021. "From brawn to brains: manufacturing–KIBS interdependency," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 55(7), pages 1282-1298, July.
    5. valter di Giacinto & Giacinto Micucci & Alessandro Tosoni, 2018. "Knowledge intensive business services and urban areas: an analysis of localization and productivity on Italian data," Questioni di Economia e Finanza (Occasional Papers) 443, Bank of Italy, Economic Research and International Relations Area.
    6. Niebel, Thomas, 2010. "Der Dienstleistungssektor in Deutschland: Abgrenzung und empirische Evidenz," ZEW Dokumentationen 10-01, ZEW - Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research.
    7. Valter Giacinto & Giacinto Micucci & Alessandro Tosoni, 2020. "The agglomeration of knowledge-intensive business services firms," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 65(3), pages 557-590, December.
    8. Bruce S. Tether & Qian Cher Li & Andrea Mina, 2012. "Knowledge-bases, places, spatial configurations and the performance of knowledge-intensive professional service firms," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 12(5), pages 969-1001, September.
    9. Nobuo Kobayashi & Takeshi Mori, 2022. "An Empirical Study on the Relationship of Regional Entrepreneurial Activities and Utilization of Digital Technology in Knowledge-Intensive Business Services (KIBS)," Discussion Paper Series 234, School of Economics, Kwansei Gakuin University.
    10. Schricke, Esther, 2013. "Occurrence of cluster structures in knowledge-intensive services," Working Papers "Firms and Region" R1/2013, Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research (ISI).
    11. Lilian Santos & Aurora A.C. Teixeira, 2013. "Determinants of innovation performance of Portuguese companies: an econometric analysis by type of innovation and sector with a particular focus on Services," FEP Working Papers 494, Universidade do Porto, Faculdade de Economia do Porto.
    12. Giovanni Pino & Mauro Capestro & Gianluigi Guido & Carla Tomacelli & Marco Abate, 2016. "Knowledge-intensive services and local development: An empirical analysis of networks, channels and customization processes," Local Economy, London South Bank University, vol. 31(3), pages 359-376, May.
    13. Selina Phan & Evan Cleave & Godwin Arku, 2020. "Innovation within the Context of Local Economic Development and Planning: Perspectives of City Practitioners," Urban Planning, Cogitatio Press, vol. 5(3), pages 364-377.
    14. Luis Fernando Lanaspa Santolaria & Irene Olloqui Cuartero & Fernando Sanz Garcia, 2012. "Common Trends and Linkages in the US Manufacturing Sector, 1969–2000," International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 36(5), pages 1093-1111, September.
    15. David Doloreux & Anika Laperrière, 2014. "Internationalisation and innovation in the knowledge-intensive business services," Service Business, Springer;Pan-Pacific Business Association, vol. 8(4), pages 635-657, December.
    16. Matthias Firgo & Peter Mayerhofer, 2016. "Wissensintensive Unternehmensdienste, Wissens-Spillovers und regionales Wachstum. Teilprojekt 3: Zur Standortstruktur von wissensintensiven Unternehmensdiensten – Fakten, Bestimmungsgründe, regionalpo," WIFO Studies, WIFO, number 59427, February.
    17. Ian Miles & Veronika Belousova & Nikolay Chichkanov, 2017. "Innovation Configurations in Knowledge-Intensive Business Services," Foresight and STI Governance (Foresight-Russia till No. 3/2015), National Research University Higher School of Economics, vol. 11(3), pages 94-102.
    18. Sverre J Herstad & Marte CW Solheim & Marit Engen, 2019. "Learning through urban labour pools: Collected worker experiences and innovation in services," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 51(8), pages 1720-1740, November.

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