Measuring innovation space: numerical devices as governmental technologies

Abstract

The context of sub-national regions in Sweden is used to illustrate how rankings and indices operate as part of contemporary governing of space and territory. An empirical study of an index designed to measure the innovative capacity of these regions is presented to illustrate how such numerical devices are invoked as part of policy by providing policy-makers with a means to define reality, guide strategy and legitimize certain actions. Drawing on both the literatures of governmentality and the sociology of quantification, the construction of the index and its deployment into politics are examined with a focus on the performative aspects of mobilizing such technologies in governing. The analysis shows how an instrument intended as a learning tool for regions and regional policy-makers turns into a device through which power operates in the processes of marking, grading and commensuration, in turn reinforcing established orders among the regions. Following from this, it is found that such numerical devices are important governmental technologies that help relay and institute political rationalities. Therefore, they should be considered more carefully in any analysis of discourses of regional development, which is a field permeated by rationalities of innovation and competitiveness.

Making space for competition: The rationalities of contemporary regional development

“…In short, these are the tangible mechanisms and apparatuses that relay the political rationalities and make them operational (e.g. Li, 2007;Miller and Rose, 2008;Öjehag-Pettersson, 2020). By contrast, my take on governmentality in this article could be said to resemble forms of Foucauldian discourse analysis, however, with Walter's (2012) position in mind, I argue that this is still an expression of the toolbox, or perhaps a patch for the software.…”

The geography of statistics: Social statistics from moral science to big data

“…This drive recognises the work that numbers do to make dissimilar things commensurable and comparable, even across boundaries in space, time, and thought (Porter, 1995). The success of these efforts is a matter for political contestation because of the way that they can fold space together and bring two otherwise distinct places into a comparative relation, often ranked on a numerical index, that can be politically useful (Allen, 2016; Larner and Le Heron, 2002; Öjehag-Pettersson, 2019; Rottenburg et al, 2015). This helps to reproduce national space.…”

“…The circulating statistics that fold different places into hierarchical topologies lead to the production of another kind of space as well: spaces ‘in between’ or ‘above’ national or regional policy spaces where statistical knowledge is collected together and analysed according to particular political priorities and inclinations to produce policy directives based on this statistical view (Jenkins, 2017; Prince, 2016; Öjehag-Pettersson, 2019). Organisations like the OECD are a good example.…”

Utveckling, konkurrens och möjliga framtider: En studie om görandet av hållbarhet i regional utvecklingspolitik

“…Regional utvecklingspolitik i Europa har de senaste decennierna framför allt inneburit att konkurrera om invånare och företagsetableringar, attrahera investeringar, skapa tillväxt och stötta nya innovationer (Johansson m.fl., 2021;Keating & Loughlin, 2013;Loughlin, 2007;Syssner, 2006), gärna genom att sätta den egna regionen, eller i alla fall dess största tätort tillika "tillväxtmotor", på kartan. Med en logik lånad från Richard Floridas (1995) idé om kampen att locka till sig den kreativa klassen, och med praktiker som kluster och Smart specialisering, har svensk regional utvecklingspolitik och dess genomförare slipats och vässats i attraktivitetstänk, rankning, platsmarknadsföring och nätverkande med näringslivsaktörer (Säll, 2012(Säll, , 2014Säll & Öjehag-Pettersson, 2013;Öjehag-Pettersson, 2015Öjehag-Pettersson, , 2019. Den svenska regionala utvecklingspolitiken har sedan den etablerades på 1960-talet haft flera olika skepnader, och rört sig mellan statligt styre och regionalt inflytande och mellan fördelningspolitik och konkurrensfokus.…”

“…Detta synsätt, med regioner som centrala för den ekonomiska utvecklingen, och att de bör fungera som pådrivare av innovationer och konkurrenskraft, kallas nyregionalism (Asheim, 2001;Florida, 1995;Hassink, 2005;Hettne, 2005). Det nyregionala perspektivet har varit dominerande både vad gäller forskning om regional utveckling och bland aktörerna som driver själva policyarbetet ute i regionerna (Säll & Öjehag-Pettersson, 2013;Öjehag-Pettersson, 2019). En stor del av studierna som produceras om regional utveckling i Sverige handlar antingen om innovationssystem och hur de bäst bör utformas, eller om näringslivsdifferentiering och utveckling av företagskluster, eller om privat och offentligt partnerskap i en specifik industri.…”