Transnationalizing innovation systems by transplanting innovation platforms

The feasibility of the concept of a national innovation system (NIS) in the globalizing world had already been questioned in its early days and recently long-time advocates of the NIS approach have also raised their doubts. Along with more traditional facilitating policy model, we propose conceptually platform-based policy models with four subcategories that can be considered as appropriate in relation to innovation policies that intend to deal with an increasing rate of border-crossing innovation activities. Building on the views of system and governance failure, we also argue that a community-oriented approach might provide more systemic and hence more efficient and self-sustaining linkages between regional innovation systems that are located in different countries. We will introduce some recent policy measures from the Nordic countries, especially from Finland but also from Denmark, in order to link the conceptual discussion to real-life policies. The purpose is by no means narrowly restricted to an empirical categorization of the Nordic cases, but to outline stylized policy models related to the internationalization of an innovation system that could be applied more generally when designing or analysing policies.