An ‘Integrated’ Framework for the Comparative Analysis of the Territorial Innovation Dynamics of Developed and Emerging Countries

Abstract

This paper discusses recent developments in the literature on local and regional innovative performance to show how an ‘integrated’ conceptual framework based on the cross‐fertilization of different theories can serve as a foundation for the comparative analysis of territorial innovation dynamics in both developed and developing countries. The paper outlines a conceptual framework to explain the differences between innovation systems and their geography by drawing on elements of endogenous growth, new economic geography and regional innovation systems. This framework forms the basis of the subsequent analysis of the differences in innovative capacity between the European Union (EU), the United States (US) – as the leader system to be challenged – and China and India as emerging competitors for international technological leadership. The systematic analysis of a large body of empirical literature shows important differences between the spatial patterning of ‘emerging’ (China and India) and ‘mature’ (EU and US) innovation systems.

The Growth and Decline of the West Midlands Region: An Integrated Evolutionary Perspective

“…The region comprises a number of relational dimensions (proximities), including ideological, political, social, corporate and spatial proximities (remember that absolute (pure) space or dimension cannot be defined, only the proximity of one point to others or the relationship between points) (Boschma and Frenken 2006). Regional change is also driven by drivers such as innovation, knowledge spillovers, innovative milieus/regional systems of innovation, proximities and local and regional policies (Crescenzi and Rodríguez-Pose 2012). The Integrated Evolutionary Perspective integrates the various dimensions, levels and drivers of regional development, using the strengths of the various theories and approaches to understand the region.…”

“…Thus, policy represents the codification of tacit relationships in a system. Presently, qualitative inductive approaches to policy analysis is utilized; however, realistic empirical modelling such as social filter analysis has been used to supplement qualitative analysis (Crescenzi and Rodríguez-Pose 2012). Social filter analysis analyses the relationship between GDP, education (productivity), R&D investment and certain demographic indicators to empirically verify policy effects.…”

“…Due to the conceptual and intuitive nature of the region, the heterogeneity of the research, as well as the scientific principles of neutrality and objectivity, the descriptive approach is of importance. Various theories of regional development are imperfect and contradictory in terms of their presuppositions, but as a whole they provide credible explanatory power to understand regional inequalities (Crescenzi and Rodríguez-Pose 2012). Neutrality is also essential due to the highly politicized history of economic thought.…”

“…However, top-down approaches, being reductionist, have a limited power in explaining the complexity of micro-and meso-processes. The bottom-up approach, on the other hand, provides a complex analytical framework of micro-and meso-processes with great explanatory power (Crescenzi and Rodríguez-Pose 2012). However, the bottomup approach lends itself to qualitative analysis due to the complexity of concepts, resulting in a fuzzy product which is very difficult to verify empirically due to the very real limitations of science (Iammarino 2005).…”

“…It challenges researchers to view regions as integrated and interrelated systems rather than independent categories with their own dynamisms (Crescenzi and Rodríguez-Pose 2011). It enables the researcher to realize greater levels of interconnectedness between and within regions as a product of their increasing complexity (Crescenzi and Rodríguez-Pose 2012).…”