Policy for Evolution of Regional Innovation Systems: The Role of Social Capital and Regional Particularities

Abstract

This work owes gratitude to many people. First and foremost, my supervisors Arnt Fløysand and Stig-Erik Jakobsen, who first encouraged the project, and then helped me see it through. Not only did they contribute valuable insight into the academic world as co-authors on several of my publications, they were incredibly supportive and constructive even when I did my best to argue against my own work. I also thank them for the many social events and discussions over the years, many of which took place during our travels together. They have contributed far more than might have been expected, for which I am very grateful.

One coast, two systems: Regional innovation systems and entrepreneurial discovery in Western Norway

“…Regional innovation systems differ in many respects, and the literature contends that different types of RISs have different potentials to support entrepreneurship, innovation, and industrial growth and restructuring (Isaksen & Trippl, 2016; Njøs & Jakobsen, 2018). We distinguish between RISs based on the geography of innovation collaboration and on the state of the two subsystems, which also impacts the institutional framework's working.…”

Natural laboratories in emerging countries and comparative advantages in science: Evidence from Chile

“…From the viewpoint of human resources, NLs are likely to attract national and foreign scientists by the novelty and transcendence of the research challenges, the possibility of participating in major international collaborations, and eventually by accessing infrastructure and research funding (Biancani et al, 2018). Importantly, NLs may generate the knowledge stock that precedes and promotes innovation and the technological development of the territories involved (Bell & Albu, 1999; Njøs & Jakobsen, 2017).…”

Place-Based Directionality of Innovation: Tasmanian Salmon Farming and Responsible Innovation

“…Moreover, the literature on RIS has added a strong emphasis on territorial dimensions and has further developed the idea that innovation processes benefit from the geographical proximity between innovating agents. The literature puts organizations (including research organizations, firms, and policy actors) in their institutional and relational contexts at the core of the innovation process and has become a popular analytical framework for analyzing the regional conditions that enable and constrain innovation [21,22]). Various definitions of a regional innovation system have been developed, but it is common to portray a RIS as a system consisting of three interacting subsystems: a knowledge infrastructure system (i.e., R&D, educational institutions), an industrial system (i.e., clustering firms), and a governance system (i.e., mediators such as administrative authorities) [23].…”