No abstract

Theoretically and conceptually, evolutionary economic geography has paid little attention to technological characteristics when explaining the emergence of new industries. Building on the literature on technological innovation systems, the article develops a framework for investigating interconnections between territorial dynamics and technological characteristics in path creation processes. The theoretical argument is operationalized in an analytical framework that is applied in empirical investigation of two green technologies and their linkages to the region of southwestern Norway, namely, carbon capture and storage and maritime battery technology. As illustrated by the empirical investigation, territorial dynamics or technological characteristics alone do not explain path creation. Rather, interconnections between the two and how interconnections play out in time and space are considered focal.

Today, there is strong pressure for firms, in Norway and abroad, to adopt green or sustainable strategies. Furthermore, many Norwegian firms, directly or indirectly dependent on the dominating but declining petroleum sector, face a further challenge as they have to enter new industries in search of market opportunities. We address these dual challenges and study how green and new industry strategies are a function of firm- and regional-level characteristics. Multilevel analyses of Norwegian survey data show that both green and new industry strategies are pursued by knowledge-intensive firms that are innovative and having interfirm innovation collaboration. Green strategies are pursued by large firms and firms localized in sparsely populated regions, but they are avoided by independent firms and firms having carried out layoffs. New industry strategies are pursued by small firms, firms with growth in employees, and firms having carried out mergers or acquisitions and cost reductions.

We study whether business incubator management collaboration with R&D milieus affects incubated entrepreneurs to also collaborate with R&D milieus in different regional contexts. Empirically, we analyse 281 Norwegian entrepreneurs in 32 different business incubators. Incubator collaboration with R&D milieus increases entrepreneur collaboration with R&D milieus in sparsely but not densely populated regions. Also, education level increases collaboration with R&D milieus (plus investor milieus and international customers). Entrepreneur collaboration with R&D milieus is positively associated with market orientation and perceptual performance but tends to delay enterprise development.

The aim of this paper has been to explore, in depth, the place-based conditions enabling and constraining the directionality of responsible innovation in the Tasmanian salmon farming industry, and to discuss how this case can inform the broader literature on directionality of innovations. Theoretically, we argue that the combination of literature on responsible research and innovation (RRI), regional innovation system (RIS) and discourse theory is a useful starting point for addressing innovation as a territorial complex consisting of a material dimension in terms of technologies and resources, an organizational dimension in terms of innovation systems and regulations, and a discursive dimension in terms of narratives in play. When applying the complex to analyze how place-based conditions have enabled and constrained the directionality of responsible innovation in the Tasmanian salmon industry, the case discerns that the directionality of responsible innovation arises from a rather mature and well-organized regional innovation system, which allows multiple stakeholders to articulate their narratives. Under such circumstances, responsible innovation becomes a multidimensional, interactive, and co-created phenomenon consisting of several dilemmas. Still, although the contextualization of responsible innovation is highlighted, our case study acknowledges that certain “universal” characteristics shine through. By this we mean that context sensitivity must not supersede the fact that place-based responsible innovation is always subject to some generic dynamism: under all circumstances there will be a territorial innovation complex at play.