Territorial Patterns of Innovation: An Inquiry on the Knowledge Economy in European Regions

Today, financial capital, general information, consolidated technologies and codified knowledge are readily available virtually everywhere. However, the ability to organize these ‘pervasive’ factors into continuously innovative production processes and products is by no means pervasive and generalized; rather, it exists selectively only in some places where tacit knowledge is continuously created, exchanged and utilized and business ideas find their way to real markets.

Territorial Patterns of Innovation provides evidence that, contrary to popular belief, local knowledge intensity does not necessarily guarantee higher innovation performance. Moreover, the book shows that the growth benefits deriving from innovation do not necessarily match the strength of the formal local knowledge base, and that regions innovating in the absence of a strong local knowledge base can be as successful as more knowledge-intensive regions in turning innovation into a higher growth rate. Together, the contributions in this book offer a new understanding of the relationship between knowledge, innovation and regional performance by delving beyond generally held beliefs. It will be of value to regional scientists, industrial economists and policymakers.