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Contextualizing system agency in new path development: What factors shape regional reconfiguration capacity?

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  • Johan Miörner

Abstract

This paper examines factors shaping the reconfiguration capacity of regional innovation systems (RIS). The concept of ‘system selectivity’ is introduced, referring to factors such as regional imaginaries, power relations and directionality shaping how RIS reconfiguration plays out. The conceptual arguments are illustrated with a comparative case study of industrial change in two Swedish regions (automotive industry in West Sweden and digital games industry in Scania). The findings confirm the influence of system selectivity on agents’ formulation of strategies for RIS reconfiguration and highlight the importance of considering structure-agency dynamics to move beyond the stylized view enabling or constraining RISs.

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  • Johan Miörner, 2019. "Contextualizing system agency in new path development: What factors shape regional reconfiguration capacity?," PEGIS geo-disc-2019_13, Institute for Economic Geography and GIScience, Department of Socioeconomics, Vienna University of Economics and Business.
    • Handle: RePEc:wiw:wiwpeg:geo-disc-2019_13
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    system agency; new path development; regional innovation system; reconfiguration capacity; digital games; self-driving cars;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • O33 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Technological Change: Choices and Consequences; Diffusion Processes
    • R11 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - Regional Economic Activity: Growth, Development, Environmental Issues, and Changes
    • R58 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Regional Government Analysis - - - Regional Development Planning and Policy

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