The role of the Regional Innovation System approach in contemporary regional policy: is it still relevant in a globalised world?

Drivers and challenges of RIS3‐related university engagement: Insights from five European regions

“…RIS3 represents a new approach to regional development in line with the latest theoretical advancements (McCann, 2015) and natural combination of innovation and regional development policies (González-L opez & Asheim, 2020). They are the third generation of research and innovation strategies deployed by the European Union (Asheim et al, 2020), in close connection with the implementation of the Cohesion Policy (Foray, 2015;McCann, 2015). RIS3 relies on the concept of smart specialization that promotes a broader understanding of the process and scope of innovation.…”

Knowledge management visualisation in regional innovation system collaborative decision-making

“…A remarkable increase in interest regarding the factors underlying regional competitiveness is seen in many scientific fields, and studies on RIS have gained increasing attention from academics, policymakers, and practitioners (cf. Asheim et al, 2020). The RIS approach has been developed to be an instrument for national and regional policymakers to encourage innovation and knowledge creation (Asheim and Coenen, 2005;Crawley and Hallowell, 2021), and is based on the literatures on Marshallian industrial districts, economic geography, innovative surroundings, innovation clusters and national systems highlighting the central role of knowledge, and the interaction between the different agents involved in innovation across the public and private sectors (Cooke et al, 1998;Asheim et al, 2011).…”

“…The key to dealing with the changes is successful innovation systems that enable the convergence of diverse technology solutions and service ideas from multiple sources to develop the most innovative initiatives (United Nations (UN), 2018). This necessitates effective knowledge management (KM) in innovation, fostering successful regional innovation systems (RIS) that play a strategic role in the development of regional innovation capacity (Nonaka and Takeuchi, 1995;Plessis, 2007;Andreeva and Kianto, 2012;Asheim et al, 2020).…”

3. Examining university models in regional development

“…One context in which sub-national drivers can be seen to have encouraged university engagement is regional innovation policy. The development of these policies in the last 20 years has been informed by the non-linear and interactive understanding of knowledge production, dissemination, and commercialisation underlying regional (and national) innovation system frameworks 37 . As we discussed in the chapter 2, the distinctive research capabilities that universities possess mean that they are often recognised as an integral element of regional innovation systems.…”