Regional innovation systems: past – present – future

Abstract

Since its development in the 1990s, the Regional Innovation Systems (RIS) approach has attracted considerable attention from economic geographers, innovation scholars and policy makers. The RIS approach figures prominently in the scientific discourse about the uneven geography of innovation and the factors that shape the knowledge generation and innovation capacities of regions. The aim of this paper is to reflect about the emergence of the RIS approach, the current debate as well as future challenges. This reflection paper is guided by four overarching research questions: What are the origins and theoretical foundations of this approach? What has the RIS approach contributed to innovation studies and economic geography? What are the implications for innovation policy? And what are the recent lines of research and key research challenges in the future? We argue that the contributions of the RIS approach have been substantial. Still the approach has often been applied in a rather static way, more as a heuristic than a coherent theory. The key challenges for current and future research therefore are to move towards a more theory-based, dynamic perspective on RIS, dealing with new path development and the transformation of RIS.

Responsible research and innovation: a systematic review of the literature and its applications to regional studies

“…Asheim, Boschma, & Cooke, 2011;Fløysand & Sjøholt, 2007;Isaksen & Onsager, 2010;Jakobsen & Lorentzen, 2015;McCann, 2008;McCann & Acs, 2011). However, following pressure from spatial competitiveness to catch up with the current trend of globalization, regional innovation policies have mostly focused on the innovativeness of space (local, national and regional) (Asheim, Grillitsch, & Trippl, 2016;Boschma & Frenken, 2011;Boschma, Minondo, & Navarro, 2012;Martin & Sunley, 2011;Trippl, Grillitsch, Isaksen, & Sinozic, 2015) rather than responsible innovation outcomes and innovation impacts. Until recently, both cohesion (Bachtler et al, 2017;Barca et al, 2012) and smart specialization (Foray, 2014;McCann & Ortega-Argilés, 2015) policies has emerged within EU with the purpose of promoting both competitiveness and cohesion in and between EU regions.…”

Regional Policy Implications of the Entrepreneurial University: Lessons from the ECIU

“…Today, universities are seen as important innovation and knowledge capital creators and circulators (Yigitcanlar, 2010), expected to contribute to their immediate surroundings by enhancing its innovation capacity and thereby spurring economic development (Arbo & Benneworth, 2007). Within the discussion of how innovation is spurred between diverse partners, the regional innovation system (RIS) approach has received attention, emphasising that knowledge and innovation is created and interchanged between different institutions and actors within two subsystems, the knowledge generation and the knowledge exploration subsystem (Asheim, Grillitisch, & Trippl, 2016;Cooke, Gomez Uranga, & Etxebarria, 1997).…”

Local entrepreneurship ecosystems and emerging industries: Case Study of Mazowieckie, Poland

“…Such a broad interpretation of "entrepreneurial discovery" as a public-private initiative avoids the pitfall of ignoring the systemic nature of innovation as interactive learning involving a number of stakeholders. The systems approach to innovation policies also highlights the role of the public sector in driving innovation, as well as the balance between exploration and exploitation (Asheim and Gertler, 2006;Asheim, Grillitsch and Trippl, 2016).…”