IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/wiw/wiwrsa/ersa12p255.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Innovation policy in city-regions: internationalization strategies as policy instruments

Author

Listed:
  • Ann Karin Holmen
  • Arild Farsund

Abstract

Innovation policy in city-regions: internationalization strategies as policy instruments Keywords: city-region, policy instruments, regional public support system, regional innovation JEL-code: R58 The globalization of the economy has led to increased competition between regions when it comes to innovation and business development. Recent research in southwest Norway shows that companies that have a wide range of international partners are significantly more likely to develop new products and generate radical innovation than companies without these kinds of networks (Fitjar and Rodriguez-Pose 2011: 556). In Norway regional authorities have taken an active role trying to make the conditions favorable for companies competing internationally. A portfolio of policy instruments has been introduced and offered regional companies, still there are both empirically and theoretically gaps in our knowledge regarding how these policy instruments are developed and made use of. Ruud, Smits and Kuhlmann (2004) argue that portfolios are heavily dominated by financial instruments and that there is a need to develop new types of instruments in order to tune them to the needs of actors involved in innovation processes. In line with this argument the main question posed in this paper is: To what degree is policy tools developed and adapted to companies needs in the regional innovation system? This study investigates how regional authorities in Southwest Norway develop policy tools in order to offer regional companies support in the processes of internationalisation. More specific, the study focus at city-regional public support systems and how they combine and coordinate policy instruments according to assumed needs in the regional innovation systems. Recent findings from surveys, interviews and in depth studies of two specific policy instruments will be presented in the paper. The findings contribute to the discussion of regional development policy in several ways. First, the principal discussion on the public role and the strategic development of public support system containing new institutions and instruments. Second, the rational behind developing the policy instruments. Are they based on companies’ actual needs, or is it based on public strategic priorities? Third, the study contributes with in the discussion on what kind of instruments companies use and how the policy instruments are combined both by the companies themselves but also the public support system.

Suggested Citation

  • Ann Karin Holmen & Arild Farsund, 2012. "Innovation policy in city-regions: internationalization strategies as policy instruments," ERSA conference papers ersa12p255, European Regional Science Association.
    • Handle: RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa12p255
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www-sre.wu.ac.at/ersa/ersaconfs/ersa12/e120821aFinal00257.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Buen, Jorund, 2006. "Danish and Norwegian wind industry: The relationship between policy instruments, innovation and diffusion," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 34(18), pages 3887-3897, December.
    2. Rune Dahl Fitjar & Andrés Rodríguez-Pose, 2014. "When local interaction does not suffice: sources of firm innovation in urban Norway," Chapters, in: André Torre & Frédéric Wallet (ed.), Regional Development and Proximity Relations, chapter 5, pages 195-222, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Huang, Shih-Chieh & Lo, Shang-Lien & Lin, Yen-Ching, 2013. "Application of a fuzzy cognitive map based on a structural equation model for the identification of limitations to the development of wind power," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 63(C), pages 851-861.
    2. Steve Charnovitz & Carolyn Fischer, 2014. "Canada – Renewable Energy: Implications for WTO Law on Green and Not-so-Green Subsidies," Working Papers 2014.94, Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei.
    3. Eleftheriadis, Iordanis M. & Anagnostopoulou, Evgenia G., 2015. "Identifying barriers in the diffusion of renewable energy sources," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 80(C), pages 153-164.
    4. Hans Pohl, 2021. "Internationalisation, innovation, and academic–corporate co-publications," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 126(2), pages 1329-1358, February.
    5. Jakob Eder & Michaela Trippl, 2019. "Innovation in the periphery: compensation and exploitation strategies," PEGIS geo-disc-2019_07, Institute for Economic Geography and GIScience, Department of Socioeconomics, Vienna University of Economics and Business.
    6. Copena, Damián & Simón, Xavier, 2018. "Wind farms and payments to landowners: Opportunities for rural development for the case of Galicia," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 95(C), pages 38-47.
    7. Rodríguez-Pose, Andrés & Lee, Neil, 2020. "Hipsters vs. geeks? Creative workers, STEM and innovation in US cities," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 103974, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    8. Parrilli, Mario Davide & Balavac, Merima & Radicic, Dragana, 2020. "Business innovation modes and their impact on innovation outputs: Regional variations and the nature of innovation across EU regions," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 49(8).
    9. Giuseppe Calignano & Rune Dahl Fitjar, 2017. "Strengthening relationships in clusters: How effective is an indirect policy measure carried out in a peripheral technology district?," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 59(1), pages 139-169, July.
    10. Pierre-Alexandre Balland & David Rigby & Ron Boschma, 2015. "The technological resilience of US cities," Cambridge Journal of Regions, Economy and Society, Cambridge Political Economy Society, vol. 8(2), pages 167-184.
    11. Rune Dahl Fitjar & Franz Huber & Andrés Rodríguez-Pose, 2016. "Not too close, not too far: testing the Goldilocks principle of ‘optimal’ distance in innovation networks," Industry and Innovation, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 23(6), pages 465-487, August.
    12. Markus Grillitsch & Magnus Nilsson, 2015. "Innovation in peripheral regions: Do collaborations compensate for a lack of local knowledge spillovers?," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 54(1), pages 299-321, January.
    13. Ron Boschma & Carlo Gianelle, 2014. "Regional Branching and Smart Specialisation Policy," JRC Research Reports JRC88242, Joint Research Centre.
    14. Ron Boschma, 2017. "Relatedness as driver behind regional diversification: a research agenda," Papers in Evolutionary Economic Geography (PEEG) 1702, Utrecht University, Department of Human Geography and Spatial Planning, Group Economic Geography, revised Jan 2017.
    15. Sun, Yutao, 2016. "The structure and dynamics of intra- and inter-regional research collaborative networks: The case of China (1985–2008)," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 108(C), pages 70-82.
    16. Crescenzi, Riccardo & Nathan, Max & Rodríguez-Pose, Andrés, 2016. "Do inventors talk to strangers? On proximity and collaborative knowledge creation," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 45(1), pages 177-194.
    17. Fjaestad, Maja, 2013. "Winds of time: Lessons from Utö in the Stockholm Archipelago, 1990–2001," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 62(C), pages 124-130.
    18. Obschonka, Martin & Lee, Neil & Rodríguez-Pose, Andrés & Eichstaedt, johannes Christopher & Ebert, Tobias, 2018. "Big Data, artificial intelligence and the geography of entrepreneurship in the United States," OSF Preprints c62tn, Center for Open Science.
    19. Stefan Ćetković & Aron Buzogány & Miranda Schreurs, 2016. "Varieties of clean energy transitions in Europe: Political-economic foundations of onshore and offshore wind development," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2016-18, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    20. del Río, Pablo, 2012. "The dynamic efficiency of feed-in tariffs: The impact of different design elements," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 41(C), pages 139-151.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    city-region; policy instruments; regional public support system; regional innovation jel-code: r58 the globalization of the economy has led to increased competition between regions when it comes to innovation and business development. recent research in southwest norway shows that companies that have a wide range of international partners are significantly more likely to develop new products and generate radical innovation than companies without these kinds of networks (fitjar and rodriguez-pose 2011: 556). in norway regional authorities have taken an active role trying to make the conditions favorable for companies competing internationally. a portfolio of policy instruments has been introduced and offered regional companies; still there are both empirically and theoretically gaps in our knowledge regarding how these policy instruments are developed and made use of. ruud; smits and kuhlmann (2004) argue that portfolios are heavily dominated by financial instruments and that there is a need to develop new types of instruments in order to tune them to the needs of actors involved in innovation processes. in line with this argument the main question posed in this paper is: to what degree is policy tools developed and adapted to companies needs in the regional innovation system? this study investigates how regional authorities in southwest norway develop policy tools in order to offer regional companies support in the processes of internationalisation. more specific; the study focus at city-regional public support systems and how they combine and coordinate policy instruments according to assumed needs in the regional innovation systems. recent findings from surveys; interviews and in depth studies of two specific policy instruments will be presented in the paper. the findings contribute to the discussion of regional development policy in several ways. first; the principal discussion on the public role and the strategic development of public support system containing new institutions and instruments. second; the rational behind developing the policy instruments. are they based on companies’ actual needs; or is it based on public strategic priorities? third; the study contributes with in the discussion on what kind of instruments companies use and how the policy instruments are combined both by the companies themselves but also the public support system.;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • R58 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Regional Government Analysis - - - Regional Development Planning and Policy

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa12p255. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Gunther Maier (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.ersa.org .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.