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Measuring Knowledge Bases in Swedish Regions

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  • Roman Martin

Abstract

Within the literature on innovation systems, there are a growing number of scholars emphasizing the importance of differentiated knowledge bases underlying innovation activities. The existing work on knowledge bases is largely grounded on in-depth case studies; while surprisingly little effort has been done so far to operationalize the concept in a more systematic manner. In this article, an attempt is made to develop a scheme of analysis to identify the knowledge base of a regional economy. We suggest using occupation data in association with a location quotient analysis, to assess whether a regional economy has a particular strength in one (or more) knowledge bases. To bring the analytical scheme into practice and assess it, we apply it on the county level in Sweden. The results are explained and contrasted with insights into the regional economies taken from secondary sources. We conclude that the proposed scheme of analysis leads to fairly reliable results, and could stimulate further empirical research on differentiated knowledge bases.

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  • Roman Martin, 2012. "Measuring Knowledge Bases in Swedish Regions," European Planning Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 20(9), pages 1569-1582, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:eurpls:v:20:y:2012:i:9:p:1569-1582
    DOI: 10.1080/09654313.2012.708022
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    7. Li Pengfei & Turkina Ekaterina & Van Assche Ari, 2022. "The Tortoise and the Hare: Industry Clockspeed and Resilience of Production and Knowledge Networks in Montréal’s Aerospace Industry," ZFW – Advances in Economic Geography, De Gruyter, vol. 66(2), pages 81-95, July.
    8. Cristina Chaminade & Claudia De Fuentes & Gouya Harirchi & Monica Plechero, 2016. "The geography and structure of global innovation networks: global scope and regional embeddedness," Chapters, in: Richard Shearmu & Christophe Carrincazeaux & David Doloreux (ed.), Handbook on the Geographies of Innovation, chapter 22, pages 370-381, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    9. Ron Boschma, 2017. "A concise history of the knowledge base literature: challenging questions for future research," Papers in Evolutionary Economic Geography (PEEG) 1721, Utrecht University, Department of Human Geography and Spatial Planning, Group Economic Geography, revised Sep 2017.
    10. Áron Perényi & Rowan E. Bedggood & Denny Meyer & Phillip Bedggood & Karen Farquharson & Clare Johansson & Gina Milgate, 2019. "Exploring the Effectiveness of an Energy Efficiency Behaviour Change Project on Well-Being Outcomes for Indigenous Households in Australia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(8), pages 1-18, April.
    11. Shuaijun Xue & Robert Hassink, 2021. "Combinatorial knowledge bases, proximity and agency across space: the case of the high-end medical device industry in Shanghai," PEGIS geo-disc-2021_04, Institute for Economic Geography and GIScience, Department of Socioeconomics, Vienna University of Economics and Business.
    12. Grillitsch, Markus & Schubert, Torben & Srholec, Martin, 2016. "Knowledge diversity and firm growth: Searching for a missing link," Papers in Innovation Studies 2016/13, Lund University, CIRCLE - Centre for Innovation Research.
    13. Björn T. Asheim & Markus Grillitsch & Michaela Trippl, 2016. "Regional innovation systems: past – present – future," Chapters, in: Richard Shearmu & Christophe Carrincazeaux & David Doloreux (ed.), Handbook on the Geographies of Innovation, chapter 2, pages 45-62, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    14. Markus Grillitsch & Roman Martin & Martin Srholec, 2017. "Knowledge Base Combinations and Innovation Performance in Swedish Regions," Economic Geography, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 93(5), pages 458-479, October.
    15. Rune Dahl Fitjar & Bram Timmermans, 2017. "Knowledge bases and relatedness: A study of labour mobility in Norwegian regions," Papers in Evolutionary Economic Geography (PEEG) 1712, Utrecht University, Department of Human Geography and Spatial Planning, Group Economic Geography, revised Jun 2017.
    16. Rakas, Marija & Hain, Daniel S., 2019. "The state of innovation system research: What happens beneath the surface?," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 48(9), pages 1-1.
    17. James Simmie, 2020. "Agency, new technological path creation and long waves of local economic growth in Oxfordshire," Local Economy, London South Bank University, vol. 35(8), pages 723-746, December.
    18. P. G. J. Persoon & R. N. A. Bekkers & F. Alkemade, 2021. "The Knowledge Mobility of Renewable Energy Technology," Papers 2106.10474, arXiv.org, revised Sep 2021.
    19. Inga Ivanova & Oivind Strand & Duncan Kushnir & Loet Leydesdorff, 2015. "The Efficiency of Triple-Helix Relations in Innovation Systems: Measuring the Connection between a Country’S Net Income and its Knowledge Base," HSE Working papers WP BRP 55/STI/2015, National Research University Higher School of Economics.
    20. Persoon, P.G.J. & Bekkers, R.N.A. & Alkemade, F., 2022. "The knowledge mobility of Renewable Energy Technology," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 161(C).

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    • O32 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Management of Technological Innovation and R&D

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