At the root of this change are three interrelated processes: the emergence of a new information technology paradigm that is dramatically altering the economic calculus of production and distribution throughout the industrial economies; the phenomenon of globalization which is intensifying the linkages and interdependence between the economies of Europe, North America and East Asia; and the gradual. [...] The main elements of the system in his conception include: the internal organization of firms; the network of inter-firm relationships; the role of the public sector; the institutional set-up of the financial sector; and the degree of R&D intensity and the nature of R&D organization. [...] The industrial system of a region includes three important dimensions: the indigenous mix of institutions and culture in the region; the structure of the industrial system; and the internal organization or industrial culture that prevails in firms in the region. [...] The industrial structure of the region refers to the inter-firm organization of its production system, especially the extent and nature of the relations between suppliers and customers within the individual sectors or networks of interrelated sectors, and the role played by the larger firms within the regional economy. [...] The broader nature of the project and some of the issues under investigation in related parts were critical in determining the initial construction of the survey sample.

Since the first edition was published in 1998, there has been a worldwide innovation-led boom & subsequent slump. This new edition registers this change & offers an interesting test of the robustness of the original arguments.

In an era of intense globalization, the critical role of the region as a center for economic development has sometimes been overlooked. Moreover, innovation is increasingly being recognized as being a critical driver of economic growth and development. However, innovation is no longer being seen as a function of research and development; nor is R&D being seen as being sufficient for the creation of technology-intensive industries and the valuable economic spillovers that result in high value-added jobs and exports. Indeed, much more than ever before, it is the combination of factors that contributes to innovation - ranging over skills, finance, production, user-producer linkages, the capacity of organizations to learn, and multilayered government policies - that make local regions the favorites of fortune. Using an evolutionary economic perspective, and drawing on a range of disciplines and accomplished scholars, Local and Regional Systems of Innovation explores important issues at a conceptual, methodological and comparative level concerning how successful locations actually construct their comparative advantage.

First published in 1998. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

Even in a globalizing, knowledge-based economy, cities remain engines of growth, innovation, and diversity. Increasingly, they are also active participants in the creation of the social and political conditions necessary to create a thriving community. The Innovation, Creativity, and Governance in Canadian City-Regions series is a focused analysis of how developments at the local and regional level affect these three key determinants of future prosperity. Growing Urban Economies summarizes its conclusions in a single volume that presents an overview of the evidence and its implications. A rich and nuanced analysis of the interplay of social, political, and economic factors in thirteen Canadian city-regions, large and small, this collection integrates research focusing on innovation, creativity and talent-retention, and governance in order to understand the distinctive experience of each region. A valuable cross-section of city-region development in a variety of circumstances, Growing Urban Economies offers important insights into the way in which local conditions affect urban economies around the world.

'This volume is an important step in furthering the discussion about how cluster strategies work and the implications for theory and policy.' – Jennifer Clark, Review of Regional Studies The role of innovations and clusters has increasingly dominated local and regional development policies in recent decades. This authoritative and accessible Handbook considers important aspects of high-tech clusters, analyses insightful cluster case studies, and provides a number of recommendations for cluster policies. The chapters in this Handbook are written by international experts in the field and present evidence of the scope, effects, and potential of clusters as concentrations of innovative activities. The authors emphasize that cluster development is not the only option for local and regional development and argue that for cluster policies to be worthwhile, supporting policies in fields such as education, R&D, transportation, and communication infrastructure must accompany most cluster policies. Furthermore, several contributions stress that clusters often develop along a life cycle that may end with decline and even the disappearance of clusters. Consequently, this Handbook provides the basis for improving both research on innovation and clusters and the formulation and implementation of cluster policies. Furnishing the reader with rich, comprehensive discussion of innovations and clusters, this Handbook will be an essential source for researchers and academics in the field, as well as policymakers, planners and specialists, development experts and agencies, and consultants.

Explores the success of major innovation and entrepreneurship clusters in OECD countries, the challenges they now face in sustaining their positions and the lessons for other places seeking to build successful clusters.

Concerns over Canada's ability to compete in the global economy persist despite its relatively improved economic performance in recent years. The key to success in this global economy lies in our capacity to innovate - the ability to develop new, or significantly improved, services, products, production techniques, or management methods - and the capacity to sustain those innovations. The challenge of competing in a global, knowledge-based economy accentuates our need to understand how the innovation process operates in the context of Canada's diverse regional economies. Attempts to understand the nature of the innovation process, and to develop policy to support it, which are exclusively at the national level may founder on this problem of diversity. Policy and analysis in Canada, based on an innovation systems approach, must take into account the economic and social differences among the regions. infrastructure, a factor that strongly influences the innovative potential of regions across the country. Finally, case studies focusing on Quebec and British Columbia provide a detailed picture of the strengths and gaps of individual regional innovation systems. Written by members of the Innovation Systems Research Network (ISRN), a cross-national network of regionally oriented researchers, Innovation, Institutions and Territory provides useful insights for scholars and for policymakers at the federal, provincial, and subregional levels. Contributors include Frederic Allaert (Minolta, France), Tomas G. Bas, Robert Dalpe (Montreal), Sophie D'Amours (Laval), Jerome Doutriaux (Ottawa), Adam Holbrook, Lindsay Hughes, Marie-Pierre Ippersiel (CIRST), Rejean Landry (Laval), Candace Morrison, Richard Nimijean (RQSI and PRIME), Jorge Niosi (UQAM), Tim Padmore (UBC), Diane Poulin (Laval), David Rolland (UQAM), Udo Staber (New Brunswick), Diane-Gabrielle Tremblay (UQAM), and David A. Wolfe.

In a globalizing, knowledge-based economy, innovation and creative capacity lead to economic prosperity. Starting in 2006, the Innovation Systems Research Network began a six year-long study on how city-regions in Canada were surviving and thriving in a globalized world. That study resulted in the “Innovation, Creativity, and Governance in Canadian City-Regions” series, which examines the impact of innovation, talent, and institutions on sixteen city-regions across Canada. This volume explores how the social dynamics that influence innovation and knowledge flows in Canadian city-regions contribute to transformation and long-term growth. With case studies examining cities of all sizes, from Toronto to Moncton, Innovating in Urban Economies analyzes the impact of size, location, and the regional economy on innovation and knowledge in Canada's cities.

Economic growth has traditionally been attributed to the increase in national production arising from technological innovation. Using a panel of seventy-nine countries bridging the North-South divide, Patent Intensity and Economic Growth is an important empirical study on the uncertain relationship between patents and economic growth. It considers the impact of one-size-fits-all patent policies on developing countries and their innovation-based economic growth, including those policies originating from the World Intellectual Property Organization, the World Trade Organization and the World Health Organization, as well as initiatives derived from the TRIPS Agreement and the Washington Consensus. This book argues against patent harmonization across countries and provides an analytical framework for country group coalitioning on policy at UN level. It will appeal to scholars and students of patent law, national and international policy makers, venture capitalist investors, and research and development managers, as well as researchers in intellectual property, innovation and economic growth.