The ‘KIBS Engine’ of Regional Innovation Systems: Empirical Evidence from European Regions

Abstract

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Causal relations between knowledge-intensive business services and regional employment growth

“…The first reason has to do with the role of KIBS in the development of (local) outsourcing of service activities (Fixler and Siegel, 1999;Groshen and Potter, 2003;Heshmati, 2003;Ono, 2003;Miozzo and Grimshaw, 2005;Grimshaw and Miozzo, 2006;Arora and Forman, 2007;Henderson and Ono, 2008), sustaining the productivity growth in both the manufacturing and service sectors (Fixler and Siegel, 1999). The externalization of business services has generally tightened the links between the manufacturing and services industries (Castellacci, 2008;Corrocher and Cusmano, 2014):…”

“…Research is needed to further investigate the system-wide interactions of KIBS, and to assess how different typologies of KIBS and manufacturing segments interact (Corrocher and Cusmano, 2014). This study investigates the causal relations between regional employment growth in the KIBS sector and regional employment growth in the rest of the economy.…”

The Spatio-Relational Nature of Urban Innovation Systems: Universities, Knowledge Intensive Business Service Firms, and Collaborative Networks

“…In particular, the study has sought to better identify the spatio-relational nature of the knowledge spaces and urban innovation systems for which both sets of organisations are often key components (Muller & Zenker 2001;Doloreux & Shearmur 2012;Corrocher & Cusmano 2014;Huggins et al 2008;Lawton Smith 2007), as means of contributing to heightened understanding of such networks, spaces and systems contribute to the phenomenon of knowledge-based urban development (Yigitcanlar 2009;Carrillo et al 2014;Knight 2008;Knight 1995). The key results of the study can be summarised as follows: (1) the size of urban KIBS firms further determines the reach and localisation of their university links; (2) The results highlight the fact that engaging in geographically proximate collaborative links with universities is the domain of smaller urban KIBS firms, particularly micro firms.…”

“…Consequently, the starting point for this paper is the argument that the development path of a city economy is dependent upon the quality of the urban innovation system it possesses and the knowledge based assets within it. The extant literature places both universities and Knowledge-Intensive Business Service (KIBS) firms in the centre of the knowledge-based development process, regarding them as crucial nodes within urban innovation systems (Muller & Zenker 2001;Lawton Smith 2007;Doloreux & Shearmur 2012;Corrocher & Cusmano 2014;Huggins et al 2008). Yet, less is known about the interactions of KIBS in urban locations with the university sector, and while some scholars have begun to address this area the specifics surrounding the participation of KIBS firms with universities within the same urban innovation systems is still relatively unexplored.…”

Is Creative Economy in Croatia a Myth or Reality? Some Evidence on the Impact of Creativity on Regional Economic Growth

“…More specifically, knowledge-intensive business services (KIBS) that include certain creative activities such as design and market research, have played a role for the innovation potential of progressive European regions (Corrocher and Cusmano, 2014 For a post-transition economy, an important contribution from creative industries may be seen in their role in regeneration of mature industries, as shown in the case of the Swiss watchmaking industry (Jeannerat and Crevoisier, 2013). A broader impact of creativity can also be seen in the promotion of absorbing capacity through knowledge creation and/or knowledge acquisition.…”