Innovations in innovation policy: reconstructing the emergence, legitimation and dynamics of cluster policies in Germany

Abstract

Cluster policies are but one of the most well-known policy tools tosteer innovation in the realm of science and technology policy. While there is much research on the effects of cluster based funding for innovation and scholarly strategies, little is said about its emergence, its legitimation and its situatedness in societal discourses and professional practices. This article applies an 'instrument constituencies' perspective on cluster policies in science and innovation. Drawing on the case of Germany, it is argued that these policy instruments are not only legitimated by an academic literature but that their introduction also depended on very specific national constellations shaping the uptake of the instrument. It is also shown that the construction of the instrument cannot be separated from its implementation, thus contributing to the emergence of new communities of practice.

Re-thinking cluster policies: the role of shared vision and Place Leadership on the development of resilient clusters

“…Cluster policies can vary in scope and design, but they generally refer to a particular model and conceptual repertoire which is rooted in innovation studies. Consequently, they rely on a ”functional model of governance” established in the academic literature (Blümel 2021 ). Cluster policy combines its instruments in an innovative and cluster-focused way (Ahn 2018 ) and has emerged as an archetype for a group of “soft” policies that aim to achieve relational outcomes (Burfitt and MacNeill 2008 ).…”

Wissenschaft im Strukturwandel. Die paradoxe Praxis engagierter Transformationsforschung

“…Durch die unterschiedlichsten Methoden -seien sie natur-oder sozialwissenschaftlich -werden überregionale Erwartungen generiert, kommuniziert, objektiviert und mit regionalen Erfahrungen abgeglichen. In einer historischen Rekonstruktion zeigt Clemens Blümel, dass regionale Innovationspolitiken wie die Förderung von Unternehmensclustern sowohl durch wissenschaftspolitische als auch durch politökonomische Kontexte legitimiert werden (Blümel 2020). Für die Forschungspraxis gilt unabhängig von ökonomischen, ökologischen oder soziologischen Absichten: Regionale Forschungsvorhaben fungieren oft als Schnittstelle eines Prozesses, der Landstriche in Zentrum und Peripherie teilt und den überregionalen Zugriff von Politik und Wirtschaft ermöglicht.…”

The Impact of Digital and Green Innovation Strategy on Citizen Trust Towards Sustainable Financial Performance of Local Government

“…The legitimacy of an innovation in a group or community shows that it cannot be separated from the contribution made to support it (Blümel, 2020). The form of citizen trust is in the form of citizen involvement in the collaborative development of various types of scientific, professional and practical knowledge related to social needs implemented in digital innovation.…”