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Drawing on empirical material from two Italian regions, we show how various material dimensions have affected the spatial distribution and deployment of RE, in particular solar and wind energy. The paper draws on an approach to the analysis of materiality originally developed in the extractive industries literature, including fossil fuels. RE forms have significantly fewer material components compared with coal, oil and gas and the other extractive industries.

Combining insights from research on systems innovation and sustainable transitions with multi-level governance perspectives, this paper examines the ‘Arbed’ domestic housing retrofit programmes in Wales. In so doing, the paper demonstrates the critical role of sub-national government in the emergence of a distinctive sustainability-oriented pathway for domestic end-use energy demand reduction in Wales, and highlights the multi-level governance challenges involved. The governance processes contributing to this purposive transformation (e.g., policies and institutions; a ‘shared’ normative vision; network building; competencies, resource mobilisation, etc.) are illuminated and how they simultaneously cut across multiple spatial scales is discussed. Rather than simply viewing such transition arenas as simple sites of experimentation, the paper argues that sub-national sustainable energy transitions and pathways are shaped by pressures and opportunities that are mediated by unique place and context-specific conditions that exert influence on the mobilisation of resources, governance capabilities and actor-networks.

This paper analyses and critically discusses the role of regions in implementing renewable energy (RE) policies, examining the relationship between state policy and RE deployment. Using evidence from four case study regions, Apulia and Tuscany in Italy and Wales and Scotland in the UK, the paper teases out some differences in terms of regional competencies to implement RE policies across the two countries. The national governments in both Italy and the UK have constructed regulatory and governance relationships to orchestrate and reorder economic, social and ecological challenges and devolve responsibilities at the sub-national level. This has offered an opportunity for the peculiarities of regional setups to be taken into account and regions have contributed towards the promotion of green and sustainable path development via the route of promoting RE deployment. The paper argues that the downscaling and distribution of responsibility in the cases investigated reflect the capacity and willingness of nation states to respond to and mediate the strategic goals and outcomes formulated at national and international levels. Nevertheless, while the regions investigated display differences in their incentives, capacities and capabilities to increase RE deployment, their ability to act is very much influenced by nation states, stressing the important role of the state in mediating the form and direction of RE deployment.

DE LAURENTIS C. Innovation and policy for bioenergy in the UK: a co-evolutionary perspective, Regional Studies. This paper analyses the role of niche innovation and regime interaction in the field of renewable energy in the UK. Adopting a co-evolutionary approach and a dynamic multilevel perspective on system innovation, it investigates niches development in the UK in the field of bioenergy and its interaction with the current energy regime. Contributing to the debate about spatial scales at which sustainability transitions can be conceptualized, the paper utilizes the case of niche development in the region of Wales to provide supporting evidence of the importance of context-specific social and political relations that may foster or hinder regime transformation. Systems innovationInstitutions Co-evolution Bioenergy Transition studies DE LAURENTIS C. 英国生质能源的创新与政策：一个协同演化的视角，区域研究。本文分析英国可再生能源的领域 中，利基创新与社会制度互动所扮演的角色。本研究对于系统创新採用协同演化方法与动态多层级视角，探讨英国 生质能领域中利基的建立，及其与目前能源制度的互动。本文运用威尔斯区域利基建立的案例，提供证据支持特定 脉络的社会及政治关係的重要性，这些关係或许会促进或妨碍制度转移，本文并以此对于可持续性变迁可被概念化 的空间尺度之辩论做出贡献。 系统创新 制度 协同演化 生质能 变迁研究 DE LAURENTIS C. L'innovation et la politique en faveur de la bioénergie au Royaume-Uni: un point de vue coévolutif, Regional Studies. Cet article analyse le rôle des créneaux d'innovation et des régimes d'interaction dans le domaine de l'énergie renouvelable au Royaume-Uni. À partir d'une approche coévolutive et d'une perspective multiniveaux dynamique des systèmes d'innovation, on examine le développement de créneaux au Royaume-Uni dans le domaine de la bioénergie et son interaction avec le régime énergétique actuel. Pour contribuer au débat sur les échelles spatiales auxquelles on peut conceptualiser le développement durable, l'article emploie le cas du développement de créneaux au pays de Galles afin de fournir des preuves à l'appui de l'importance des relations sociales et politiques spécifiques au contexte qui pourraient encourager ou entraver le changement de régime. Systèmes d'innovation Institutions Co-évolution Bioénergie Études sur la transition DE LAURENTIS C. Innovation und Politik für Bioenergie in Großbritannien: eine koevolutionäre Perspektive, Regional Studies. In diesem Beitrag wird die Rolle der Wechselwirkungen zwischen Nischeninnovation und System im Bereich der erneuerbaren Energien in Großbritannien analysiert. Anhand eines koevolutionären Ansatzes und einer dynamischen, mehrschichtigen Perspektive der Systeminnovation werden die Nischenbildung in Großbritannien im Bereich der Bioenergie sowie ihre Wechselwirkungen mit dem derzeitigen Energiesystem untersucht. Als Beitrag zur Debatte über räumliche Maßstäbe, in denen sich Übergänge im Bereich der Nachhaltigkeit konzeptualisieren lassen, liefert dieser Beitrag anhand des Falls der Nischenbildung in der Region Wales unterstützende Belege für die Bedeutung von kontextspezifischen gesellschaftlichen und politischen Beziehungen, die eine Umgestaltung des Systems fördern oder sie behindern können. Systeminnovation Institutionen Koevolution Bioenergie ÜbergangsstudienDE LAUR...

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There has been considerable recognition of the regional embeddedness of the knowledge-based economy and its uneven geographical incidence, with mainly urban or metropolitan areas being the crucibles of knowledge-intensive activities. Drawing from recent research conducted analysing cultural industries, the paper explores how the knowledge-based economy can be built upon, focussing on the value afforded by regional cultural diversity which offers a means of economic development and growth to peripheral regions. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media, Inc. 2006regions, innovation, media, culture, creativity, institutions, L63, L82, M20, O10, O30,

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