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From smart specialisation to smart experimentation: Building a new theoretical framework for regional policy of the European Union

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  • Benner Maximilian

    (Heidelberg)

Abstract

The idea of smart specialisation has gained high prominence in the discourse about the regional policy of the European Union (EU). In the coming program period from 2014 to 2020 it is expected to be a major pillar of EU structural funds. The notion of smart specialisation incorporates some basic principles of evolutionary economics and centers on the idea of an entrepreneurial discovery process of new trajectories on the regional level. It does not, however, sufficiently take into account the relevance of individual agents, their actions, and their relations with each other in the identification, creation, development, and destruction of technological and economic trajectories. For this, a focus on micro-level dynamics is needed that provides the base for experimentation. Therefore, this paper proposes the new concept of smart experimentation. This notion aims to complement smart specialisation. It is anchored not only in evolutionary economics, but also in relational economic geography.

Suggested Citation

  • Benner Maximilian, 2014. "From smart specialisation to smart experimentation: Building a new theoretical framework for regional policy of the European Union," ZFW – Advances in Economic Geography, De Gruyter, vol. 58(1), pages 33-49, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:bpj:zfwige:v:58:y:2014:i:1:p:33-49:n:3
    DOI: 10.1515/zfw.2014.0003
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    1. Bjørn Asheim & Ron Boschma & Philip Cooke, 2011. "Constructing Regional Advantage: Platform Policies Based on Related Variety and Differentiated Knowledge Bases," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 45(7), pages 893-904.
    2. Altenburg, Tilman, 2011. "Industrial policy in developing countries: overview and lessons from seven country cases," IDOS Discussion Papers 4/2011, German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS).
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    Cited by:

    1. Maximilian Benner, 2019. "Smart specialisation and institutional context: What does it mean for path development?," PEGIS geo-disc-2019_05, Institute for Economic Geography and GIScience, Department of Socioeconomics, Vienna University of Economics and Business.
    2. Maximilian Benner, 2019. "Industrial Policy in the EU and Its Neighbourhood: Learning from Policy Experimentation," Economies, MDPI, vol. 7(2), pages 1-22, May.
    3. Benner, Maximilian & Arik, Alev & Aslan, Gabriel & Ben Hajar, Philip & Civelek, Ilkan & Döpke, Marius & Jadran, Mohammed & Kardel, Aileen & Lietzau, Jule & Maske, Johanna & Masud Bagha, Jamshed & Roth, 2018. "Regionale und lokale Wirtschaftsförderung: Meran und Brixen im Kontext der Regionalökonomie Südtirols
      [Regional and Local Economic Development: Merano and Bressanone within the Context of South Tyr      ," MPRA Paper 84882, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    4. Maximilian Benner, 2017. "From Clusters to Smart Specialization: Tourism in Institution-Sensitive Regional Development Policies," Economies, MDPI, vol. 5(3), pages 1-20, July.
    5. Benner, Maximilian & Bieringer, Lukas & Knaupp, Matthias & Wittemaier, Jana & Wruck, Adrian, 2016. "Towards a Smart Specialization Strategy for Haifa, Israel," MPRA Paper 73299, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    6. Adi Weidenfeld, 2018. "Tourism Diversification and Its Implications for Smart Specialisation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(2), pages 1-24, January.
    7. Christian Reiner & Maximilian Benner, 2022. "Cooperation bias in regional policy: Is competition neglected?," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 69(1), pages 187-221, August.
    8. Benner, Maximilian & Hirth, Jana & Kraatz, Fabian & Ludwig, Katja & Schrade, Jessi, 2017. "Regional development in the context of economic reform: The case of Limassol," MPRA Paper 76834, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    9. Benner, Maximilian, 2017. "Culture in local and regional development: A Mediterranean perspective on the culture/economy nexus," MPRA Paper 77787, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    10. Susanna Vanhamäki & Satu Rinkinen & Kati Manskinen, 2021. "Adapting a Circular Economy in Regional Strategies of the European Union," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(3), pages 1-15, February.
    11. Maximilian Benner, 2022. "An institutionalist perspective on smart specialization: Towards a political economy of regional innovation policy [Place-based Policy and Politics]," Science and Public Policy, Oxford University Press, vol. 49(6), pages 878-889.
    12. Levin, Mark (Левин, Марк), 2018. "Research of Economic Models of Innovations Aimed at Overcoming the Deficit of Natural Resources [Исследование Экономических Моделей Инноваций, Направленных На Преодоление Дефицита Природных Ресурсо," Working Papers 021803, Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration.
    13. Lopes, João & Farinha, Luís & Ferreira, João J. & Silveira, Paulo, 2018. "Does regional VRIO model help policy-makers to assess the resources of a region? A stakeholder perception approach," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 79(C), pages 659-670.
    14. Markus Bugge & Lars Coenen & Pedro Marques & Kevin Morgan, 2017. "Governing system innovation: assisted living experiments in the UK and Norway," European Planning Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 25(12), pages 2138-2156, December.

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