The concept of ‘region’ in research on regional innovation systems

Suorsa, Katri

doi:10.1080/00291951.2014.924025

Cited by 18 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 48 publications

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“…According to Suorsa (2014), in the traditional (fixed) view of regions there are three classifications: administrative regions, functional regions and formal regions. Administrative regions are classified by governance and political territories; functional regions by labour market areas, and formal regions by their human-made and physical features (Claval, 1998;Paasi, 2009).…”

Section: Theoretical Conceptualisations Of 'Region'mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In many cases, political institutions lend themselves to the language of territory, fixity, boundaries and boundedness as elements of regionality (Paasi, 2002;Jones & Macleod, 2004;Paasi, 2004;Hudson, 2006;Allen & Cochrane, 2007). This traditional classification is reflective of a realist view of regions as it regards them as concrete and existing entities or actual 'things' that are 'out there' rather than 'things' dependent on observers (Suorsa, 2014).…”

Section: Theoretical Conceptualisations Of 'Region'mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Challenging the territorial understanding of regions is a relational view which shifts the focus from thinking of regions as bounded territories which need to be managed, protected or administered; to seeing them as 'products' of complex sets of social relationships whose density and variety changes in time and space (Suorsa, 2014). The relational point of view disavows the territorial view of regions and proposes instead that an adequate understanding of the region can only come about from a conception of places as "open, discontinuous, relational and internally diverse" (Allen et al, 1998: 143).…”

Section: Theoretical Conceptualisations Of 'Region'mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The spaces of the Durban Aerotropolis are also socially constructed as bounded, relative space through the standardised scale of the one-kilometre radius provided by Kasarda. Beyond these absolute and relative spaces is a conception of the Durban Aerotropolis region as relational in that it is a complex network of concentrations of people and places incorporated in a flexible boundary or loosely connected through their related functionality (Suorsa, 2014).…”

Section: Conceptualisations Of Scale Of the Durban Aerotropolismentioning

confidence: 99%

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Towards regional economic development in South Africa: Conceptualising the ‘region’ associated with economic development through the Durban Aerotropolis

Luthuli¹,

Houghton²

2019

Urbani Izziv

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This paper critically considers the conceptualization of the ‘region’ in regional economic development. It utilizes the Durban Aerotropolis in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa as a case of reference through which the conceptualization and underpinnings of ‘region’ associated with economic development are understood. This exercise is prompted by the nomenclatural shifts in local government from local economic development to regional economic development which is causing shifts in approaches to the implementation of economic development projects. The findings presented in this paper show that in the conceptualisation of the region in the instance of the Durban Aerotropolis, understanding the function, form and scale of a regional economic development project becomes pertinent to the social construction of the region with consequences for the project focus and implementation. In the discussion, function is examined as the purpose of a regional economic development project, form refers to the kind of economic development mechanism or strategy which could assist in fulfilling that purpose and scale speaks to the extent, reach and magnitude of the project, without which the implications are challenging practical enactment or implementation of regional economic development projects. The social constructions of region outlined in this paper thereby attest to the multiplicity of definitions which are typically based on the context in which the concept is being used and thus shows the ‘region’ inherent in regional economic development as produced through, and for, an assemblage of economic activity in space. From this we understand the region in regional economic development to be a social construct which presents itself as an assemblage of economic activity in space. Although we understand regions as spatially contingent, the theoretical and empirical conceptualisation of regions within regional economic development planning, policy–making and practice must draw on the specifics of contextuality to ensure its utility to economic development.

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Section: Theoretical Conceptualisations Of 'Region'mentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Theoretical Conceptualisations Of 'Region'mentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Theoretical Conceptualisations Of 'Region'mentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Conceptualisations Of Scale Of the Durban Aerotropolismentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Towards regional economic development in South Africa: Conceptualising the ‘region’ associated with economic development through the Durban Aerotropolis

Luthuli¹,

Houghton²

2019

Urbani Izziv

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Thus, the concept emphasizes the role of cooperation and spatial proximity (Jarábková et al, 2019). Regional innovation systems are open, interlinked with national innovation systems through national innovation policies and actors, such as national innovation agencies (Suorsa, 2014).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%