Industrial policy, competence blocs and the role of science in economic development

Looking inside the spiky bits: a critical review and conceptualisation of entrepreneurial ecosystems

“…On a micro-level, the related concept of technological 'competence blocs' was introduced by scholars to denote the role different institutional actors play in aiding the transformation of knowledge into commercial products in science based contexts in and around university campuses and science parks (Eliasson, 2000). Competence blocs are the defined as the infrastructure necessary to create, select and diffuse new ideas throughout clusters of firms (Eliasson and Eliasson, 1996).…”

“…The role of large existing firms, in contrast, is often downplayed with the EE literature. However, there is considerable evidence which shows that large incumbent firms often play a central role in configuring some ecosystems (Mayer, 2013), as attractors of skilled labour (Harrison et al, 2004); the incubation of entrepreneurs, the spill-over of knowledge and as important initial customers (Eliasson, 2000). In some areas, large exogenous defence companies play a central role in shaping EEs (Adams, 2011).…”

The study of emerging industries: Recognizing and responding to some central problems

“…Politically, moreover, new industries represent an important outcome for states and societies: new industries can revitalize economic growth and employment, and they can galvanize the development of environmentally-superior technologies (Russo, 2003). But much is left to be learned about how states might stimulate or shape the emergence of new industries (Eliasson, 2000;Schoonhoven and Romanelli, 2001). This is a timely question inasmuch as recent financial crises have underscored the interdependence of publicand private-sector actors in a variety of industries, but it is also a complex question in that the answers are likely to differ from one country to the next (Spencer et al, 2005).…”

Policy through procurement—The introduction of digital signal process (DSP) hearing aids into the English NHS

“…It also enables understanding of how policy decisions may impact upon other institutions, organizations and technologies [23]. Above all, the SI approach's focus on the interdependency between institutions and organizations and the central role of policy-makers [24] makes it appropriate for understanding the influence of public procurement upon the selection, adoption and diffusion of new technologies.…”