Knowledge has in recent years become a key driver for growth of regions and nations. This volume empirically investigates the emergence of the knowledge economy in the late 20th century from a regional point of view. It first deals with the theoretical background for understanding the knowledge economy, with knowledge spillovers and development externalities. It then examines aspects of the relationship between knowledge inputs and innovative outputs in the information, computer and telecommunications sector (ICT) of the economy at the regional level. Case studies focusing on a wide variety of sectors, countries and regions finally illustrate important regional innovation issues.

Inhalt

1 Knowledge, Innovation and Regional Development.- I: Theoretical Background. Concepts and Measurement.- 2 Milieux Innovateurs and Collective Learning. From Concepts to Measurement.- 3 Entrepreneurship and Innovation in the SME Sector.- 4 Networked Alliances and Innovation.- 5 The Innovation Decision and Fixed Costs.- 6 The Knowledge Base, Innovation and Urban Economic Growth.- 7 Constructing an Index for Regional Competitiveness.- II: Knowledge Spillovers and University Research.- 8 Geographic Spillovers of University Research: on Patent Activities of the High Technology Sectors in Austria.- 9 High Technology Employment and Knowledge Spillovers.- 10 Universities as Agents in Regional Innovation Systems. Evaluating Patterns of Knowledge-Intensive Collaboration in Austria.- III: The ICT Sector and Regional Development.- 11 ICT and Knowledge Challenges for Entrepreneurs in Regional Economic Development.- 12 Newcomers and Innovation in the U.S. Telephone Industry. Then and Now.- 13 The Spatial Industrial Dynamics of the ICT Sector in Sweden.- 14 The Multimedia Industry: Networks and Regional Development in a Globalised Economy.- IV: Regional Case Studies.- 15 Small Key Tech-Knowledge Firms in Canada: Their Innovation Potential, Structure, and Spatial Adaptation.- 16 The Location of Technological Innovations within the Japanese Semiconductor Industry.- 17 Innovative Performance in the Capital Region of Norway.- 18 Innovation and Firm Location in the Spanish Medical Instruments Industry.