Relatedness, Transversality and Public Policy in Innovative Regions

Philip Cooke

European Planning Studies, 2011, vol. 20, issue 11, 1889-1907

Abstract: The aims of this paper are to reflect on policy evolution observed in the EURODITE study regions, to identify the most innovative policy trajectories for delivering growth opportunities to regional firms and to explain this in terms of key theoretical findings about the virtuous policy cycles that arise from geographical proximity, co-evolution, path inter-dependence, relatedness and transversality. Accordingly, the paper involves, first, assessing the role of varieties of “proximity” in the formation of spatial distinctiveness. Second it investigates the appropriateness or otherwise of notions of “path dependence” to understanding spatial co-evolution. This leads to insights about “relatedness” in the interaction of path dependences, or more accurately path inter-dependence in evolving spatial processes, notably interactions between regional innovation paradigms and regimes in explaining regional variety. This allows eventual conjecture regarding the evidence for “regional regime variety” based on appropriately selected EURODITE regions (Bavaria, Midi-Pyrénées, Skåne, Styria) both as an advanced “platform” model of regional evolution and as a fundamental process that blocks regional homogenization. This would explain how regional culture influences policy to maintain regional specificities under forces like globalization and “digital culture” that are purported to be erosive of regional distinctiveness. Strong empirical evidence is adduced for co-evolutionary and multi-level spatial distinctiveness in paradigms and regimes that condition contemporary innovation knowledge flows.

Date: 2011
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
http://hdl.handle.net/10.1080/09654313.2012.723426 (text/html)
Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:taf:eurpls:v:20:y:2011:i:11:p:1889-1907

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
http://www.tandfonline.com/pricing/journal/CEPS20

DOI: 10.1080/09654313.2012.723426

Access Statistics for this article

European Planning Studies is currently edited by Philip Cooke and Louis Albrechts

More articles in European Planning Studies from Taylor & Francis Journals
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Chris Longhurst ().