Regionale innovasjonssystemers betydning i en globalisert økonomi

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1 Regionale innovasjonssystemers betydning i en globalisert økonomi Professor Bjørn Asheim, CIRCLE, Lunds Universitet/Universitet i Agder og Professor Arne Isaksen, Universitetet i Agder og Agderforskning VEKSTFORSK seminar, NFR, 9. juni 2008

2 The specificity of geography MOUSE Compositional (analytical) BEAR TREE Contextual (synthetic) ): Regional (relational conceptofspace)

3 Kant s definition of sciences Physical definition: - chronology (history) - chorology (geography) ): synthetic (empirical) - idiographic sciences Logical definition (based on the object of study): - physics,..., economics, sociology, etc. ): analytical - nomothetical sciences

4 Agglomeration economies: Where space enters into economics Localisation economies external economies from sectoral specialisation (Marshallian externalities external to the firm but internal to the sector and regional cluster (industrial districts)) Urbanisation economies external economies from a diversity of sectors (Jacob s externalities external to the firm and sector but internal to a (city-)region)

5 Geography matters: Regions and nations as well as firms compete Michael Porter (1990):The Competitive Advantage of Nations (and of regions (1998)) Related and supporting industries operating as geographically concentrated collections of interrelated firms in which local sophisticated and demanding customers and strong competition with other firms in the same industry drive the innovation process (1998) Spatial and social proximity innovation as interactive learning

6 Regional Innovation System (RIS): A RIS is constituted by two sub-systems and the systemic interaction between them (and with nonlocal actors and agencies): The knowledge exploration and diffusing sub-system (universities, technical colleges, R&D institutes, technology transfer agencies, business associations and finance institutions) The knowledge exploitation sub-system (firms in regional clusters as well as their support industries (customers and suppliers)) Innovation as interactive learning cultural and institutional embedded

7 Varieties of Capitalism (Hall and Soskice, 2001) The book s subtitle: The Institutional Foundations of Comparative Advantage This book convincingly argues that different national institutional frameworks support different forms of economic activity, i.e. that coordinated market economies have their competitive advantage in industries characterised by incremental innovations, while liberal market economies are most competitive in industries characterised by radical innovations

8 From competitive to constructed advantage: Regional Policy Challenges Imitation and adaptation is not any longer a sufficient strategy for regions. Unique advantages have to be actively constructed Industrial renewal takes place in-between and beyond existing sectors need for transcending traditional sector policies (platform policy) Innovation through combining existing knowledge, technologies and competencies with new generic technologies (IT, biotech (green and white)) How to shape conditions for constructing regional advantage (CRA)?

9 From competitive to constructed advantage Competitive advantage: too narrowly institutional oriented by focusing on the creation of endogenous capacity of regions to learn and innovate by a combination of markets and networks evolutionary approach Constructed advantage: acknowledges more the important interplay between industrial dynamics (knowledge bases) and institutional dynamics (i.e. different knowledge bases need different kinds of institutional support) as well as private-public complementarities in policy making by a stronger focus on actors, agencies and governance forms (addressing system failure) institutional approach

10 Content of policies for Constructing Regional Advantage Proactive and trans-sectoral, platform oriented policies (transcending traditional industry specific policies): 1. Related variety (spillover effects) 2. Differentiated knowledge bases (synthetic, analytical and symbolic) 3. Distributed knowledge networks

11 Platform policies Japan s new cluster policy: Ex: Strengthening policies for advanced component/materials industries

12 1) Related variety: Agglomeration economies and optimal cognitive distance Localisation economies sector specialisation achieving efficiency? Urbanisation economies diversity promoting creativity? However, can knowledge spillover take place between sectors that are unrelated? Trade-off betwen cognitive distance, for the sake of novelty, and cognitive proximity, for the sake of efficient absorption. Information is useless if it is not new, but it is also useless if it is so new that it cannot be understood

13 Related variety (spillover effects) Related variety is defined as sectors that are related in terms of shared or complementary knowledge bases and competences One of the driving forces behind urban and regional growth Acknowledge that generic technologies have a huge impact on economic development Related variety combines the strength of the specialisation of localisation economies and the diversity of urbanisation economies

14 2) Differentiated knowledge bases Focus on the basic types of knowledge used as input in knowledge creation and innovation processes. Moreover, we know that knowledge creation and mode of innovation of firms are strongly shaped by their specific knowledge base(s) Distinguish between different types of knowledge base: a) analytical (science based) b) synthetic (engineering based) c) symbolic (artistic based)

15 Differentiated knowledge bases: A typology Analytical (science based) Developing new knowledge about natural systems by applying scientific laws; know why Scientific knowledge, models, deductive Collaboration within and between research units Strong codified knowledge content, highly abstract, universal Meaning relatively constant between places Synthetic (engineering based) Applying or combining existing knowledge in new ways; know how Problem-solving, custom production, inductive Interactive learning with customers and suppliers Partially codified knowledge, strong tacit component, more context-specific Meaning varies substantially between places Symbolic (artistic based) Creating meaning, aesthetic qualities, affect, symbols, images; know who Creative process Learning-by-doing, in studio, project teams Importance of interpretation, creativity, cultural knowledge, implies very strong context specificity Meaning highly variable between place, class and gender Drug development Mechanical engineering Cultural production

16 The underlying rationale of this typology Not to explain the level of competence (e.g. human capital) Or the R&D intensity (e.g. high or low tech) But to characterise the nature of the critical knowledge which the innovation activity cannot do without (hence the term knowledge base ) This makes it unnecessary to classify some types of knowledge as more advanced, complex, and sophisticated than other knowledge (e.g. to consider science based (analytical knowledge) as more important for innovation and competitiveness of firms and regions than engineering based (synthetic) knowledge or artistic based (symbolic) knowledge)

17 3) Distributed knowledge networks open innovation More and more highly complicated combinations of different knowledge types, e.g. codified (embodied and disembodied) and experience based, tacit knowledge, as well as synthetic/analytical/symbolic knowledge bases As a result of the increasing complexity and diversity of contemporary knowledge creation and innovation processes, firms need to acquire new, external knowledge to supplement their internal, core knowledge base(s) Transition from internal knowledge base(s) ) within firms to distributed knowledge networks across a range of firms, industries and sectors locally and globally This demonstrates that the OECD ranking of R&D intensive industries (high-tech vs. low-tech) is less relevant

18 Eksemplet: De seks første NCE Instrumentering Trøndelag Raufoss, Lettvektsmaterialer Maritime Møre Systems Engineering Kongsberg SubSea Hordaland Microsystems Vestfold

19 The Norwegian Centres of Expertice (NCE) Seks regionale klynger ble valgt som Norwegian Centres of Excellence (NCE) in 2006 blant 24 søkere Det skal være (blant) de mest internasjonalt konkurransedyktige regionale næringsklyngene i Norge Hva kan forklare innovasjonsevnen og dynamikken i de seks klyngene? Svaret baseres på en såkalt nullpunktanalyse av de seks klyngene utført av Oxford Research

20 Del av nasjonale innovasjonssystemer Innovasjonsaktiviteten og konkurransestyrken til bedrifter i klyngene baseres i stor grad på at mange bedrifter inngår i sterke nasjonale innovasjonssystemer i maritim og olje- og gassindustrien Det nasjonale nivået var svært viktig for starten av klyngenes utvikling, gjennom nasjonale krevende kunder og flyt av FoU-resultater fra nasjonale forskningsmiljøer

21 Lokale mekanismer Den viktigste lokale faktoren bak bedriftens og klyngenes konkurransestyrke er Et spesialisert lokalt arbeidsmarked, som styrkes av at regionale høyskoler har tilpasset studieprogrammer til dominerende kompetansebaser i klyngen. Viktig er også høy grad av tillitt og lokal ansvarsfølelse som bidrar til samarbeid og felles tiltak for å bedre forholdene for det regionale næringsmiljøet som sådan

22 Nasjonalt FoU-samarbeid, global verdikjede Bedriftenes viktigste samarbeidspartnere blant universiteter og FoU-institusjoner er fortsatt nasjonale, Viktige aktører langs verdikjeden (krevende kunder og strategiske leverandører) finnes ofte utenfor Norge Mange kjernebedrifter i klyngene inngår i multinasjonale selskaper

23 Konklusjoner To konklusjoner om Constructing Regional Advantage Innovasjonsevne og konkurransestyrke i regionale næringsmiljøer kan forsterkes gjennom politikk og virkemidler Sterke regionale næringsmiljøer i Norge er koblet til nasjonale innovasjonssystem, dvs. at forskningspolitikken først og fremst må være nasjonal

24 Regional Innovation Policy: A Typology Support: Financial and technical Behavioural change: Learning to innovate Firm-focused Financial support Brokers Mobility schemes Technology Regional System-focused centres innovation systems

25 TYPOLOGY OF POLICIES Principles of policies Types of Policy Indirect, general (framework cond.) Direct, general Direct, specific Science policy Basic research in universities and research institutes/ (T-H) - IPR policy Technology policy Specific strategic technologies and sectors - public procurement policy Innovation policy SkatteFUNN (tax relief) - Norway Vinnväxt (T-H)/ VINNOVA Sweden (CRA)