Knowledge Spillover Agents and Regional Development

Abstract

It is widely recognised that knowledge and highly skilled individuals as "carriers" of knowledge (i.e. knowledge spillover agents) play a key role in impelling the development and growth of cities and regions. In this paper we discuss the relation between the mobility of talent and knowledge flows. In this context, several issues are examined, including the role of highly skilled labour for regional development, the features that characterise knowledge spillovers through labour mobility, the key factors for attracting and retaining talent as well as the rise of "brain gain" policies. Although the paper deals with highly skilled mobility and migration in general, a particular attention will be paid to flows of (star) scientists.

Localised knowledge, local policies and regional innovation activity for renewable energy technologies: Evidence from Italy

“…First, the number of researchers was considered a main driver of knowledge in regional studies (Zucker et al. ; Corsatea ; Trippl and Maier ). Second, following the environmental studies, the variation in patenting activity in renewable energy was explained as generated by the efficacy of alternative policy instruments in inducing environmental innovations (Johnstone et al.…”

Capturing the benefits that emerge from regional sustainability networks: The Castile–La Mancha network of sustainable cities and towns

“…Such a position is supported by the ‘stickiness’ of some forms of: ( i ) knowledge (e.g., tacit knowledge that is highly personal and not easily codified and communicated) and; ( ii ) learning processes (e.g., knowledge exchanges based on personal relations, routines, conventions and trust) (Morgan 1997). From this perspective, regions have advantages in terms of untraded, place‐related interdependencies, conventions and informal rules and habits that co‐ordinate economic actors under conditions of uncertainty in order to meet their goals (Storper ; Trippl and Maier ). It is argued that social capital is best developed at the regional level because it requires regular interactions, which may be better sustained over time in regional spaces (Morgan 1997).…”

A Relational Approach to the Geography of Innovation: A Typology of Regions

“…In return, they acquire knowledge from their new colleagues and, in general, promote new combinations of knowledge (Laudel, 2003;Trippl and Maier 2010).…”