This comprehensive literature review presents key contributions to the topic of regional economic advantage. It helps the reader to understand how regions build advantage for industrial development through the use of endogenous and exogenous resources, how regional industrial development can be supported by place-based policy, and how the form and mechanisms of regional advantage change over time in a path dependent manner. Also analysed is research on industrial districts and new industrial spaces, as well as regional clusters and innovation systems, along with more recent discussion of global development impulses and evolutionary perspectives on regional development. Written by three experts in the field, this important review is an essential resource for those studying, researching or practicing in this area.

Elgar Advanced Introductions are stimulating and thoughtful introductions to major fields in the social sciences and law, expertly written by the world's leading scholars. Designed to be accessible yet rigorous, they offer concise and lucid surveys of the substantive and policy issues associated with discrete subject areas. Over the past 25 years, the regional innovation system (RIS) approach has become a powerful framework for explaining the uneven geographical distribution of innovation, as well as for developing policies geared towards boosting the innovation capability of regional economies. This Advanced Introduction provides a critical review and discussion of research on RIS to answer a set of core questions covering the origins of the concept and its theoretical underpinnings, conceptual advances, empirical applications in different spatial contexts, the policy relevance of RIS and the challenges for future scholarly work. Key features include: ? a comprehensive introduction to the RIS approach and its development? a critical review of the development of research on RIS? an analysis of empirical varieties of RIS? in-depth discussion linking RIS to other important concepts in studies of regional economic development, including industrial districts, regional clusters, knowledge bases and regional industrial path development. Ideal as an introductory textbook at both bachelor and master levels in economic geography, regional economic development and innovation studies, this concise Advanced Introduction will be a vital tool for understanding regional innovation studies.

A novel contribution to the growing field of regional innovation policies, this timely book combines recent theoretical developments and empirical contributions. With a keen focus on non-core regions, some of the top scholars in the field discuss the topics of regional path transformation, place-based strategy and policy learning. Analysing the role of EU institutions, the book includes a thematic section on EU regional and innovation policies as well as four key case studies of peripheral European regions, Galicia, Apulia, Malopolska and Agder. By analysing these case studies, the authors offer advice on how to improve regional innovation policies and systems within a modern context, where smart specialisation dominates and competitiveness is increasingly relevant. EU studies, innovation and regional studies scholars will appreciate the blend of empirical evidence and theory. It will also be useful to policy-makers in charge of innovation policies at regional as well as EU level. Contributors include: C. Ares, A. Arrona, B.T. Asheim, E. Baier, C.A.M. del Carmen Sanchez-Carreira, I. Dileo, J. Gancarczyk, M. Gancarczyk, M. Gonzalez-Lopez, R. Hassink, A. Isaksen, J. Karlsen, R.N.S.S. J.P. Knudsen, M. Larrea, F. Losurdo, M. Najda-Janoszka, O. Rodil-Marzabal, S. Strickert, M. Trippl, P. Varela-Vazquez, X. Vence-Deza, A. Zenker

Elgar Advanced Introductions are stimulating and thoughtful introductions to major fields in the social sciences and law, expertly written by the world's leading scholars. Designed to be accessible yet rigorous, they offer concise and lucid surveys of the substantive and policy issues associated with discrete subject areas. Over the past 25 years, the regional innovation system (RIS) approach has become a powerful framework for explaining the uneven geographical distribution of innovation, as well as for developing policies geared towards boosting the innovation capability of regional economies. This Advanced Introduction provides a critical review and discussion of research on RIS to answer a set of core questions covering the origins of the concept and its theoretical underpinnings, conceptual advances, empirical applications in different spatial contexts, the policy relevance of RIS and the challenges for future scholarly work. Key features include: ? a comprehensive introduction to the RIS approach and its development? a critical review of the development of research on RIS? an analysis of empirical varieties of RIS? in-depth discussion linking RIS to other important concepts in studies of regional economic development, including industrial districts, regional clusters, knowledge bases and regional industrial path development. Ideal as an introductory textbook at both bachelor and master levels in economic geography, regional economic development and innovation studies, this concise Advanced Introduction will be a vital tool for understanding regional innovation studies.

The whole landscape of research in urban studies was revolutionized by the publication of Richard Florida's The Rise of the Creative Class in 2002, and his subsequent book entitled The Flight of the Creative Class has helped to maintain a decade-long explosion of interest in the field. While these two books examine the creative class in the context of the United States, research has emerged which investigates the creative class worldwide. This book brings together detailed studies of the creative class in cities across the globe, examining the impact of the creative class on growth and development. The countries covered include the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Germany, Australia, China, Japan and Canada, in addition to the United States. Taken together, the contributions deepen our understanding of the creative class and the various factors that affect regional development, highlighting the similarities and differences between the creative class and economic development across countries. This book will be of great interest to scholars of economic geography, regional economics, urban sociology and cultural policy, as well as policy makers involved in urban development.

This book provides an extensive evaluation of the numerous policy instruments used by regional governments in Europe to promote innovation activity in Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). The instruments are compared and benchmarked in order to identify 'good practice', in an effort to bridge the gap between the theory of regional innovation and real-world policy implementation. The authors argue for a new policy paradigm and highlight the value of an interactive style of policy intervention. Since the majority of SMEs have a limited resource base with regard to innovation, they need external orientation to understand and adapt to their environment. Thus, the main role for policy should be to increase the innovative capacity of a region and its SMEs by fostering interactive learning both within firms, and within the region as a whole. The authors also collect extensive data on the efficiency of innovation-driven policy measures and introduce three key concepts for successful regional innovation policy: coherence, interactivity and cumulative character. This volume will provide practical lessons and useful comparative results for a variety of professionals working on SME-oriented innovation at the EU, national and regional level. In particular, the mix of theoretical and empirical material will be of considerable interest to academics and researchers studying regional innovation systems and their role in knowledge-based economies. The book will also appeal to professional consultants, practitioners and policymakers who will find the frameworks for the evaluation and design of innovation policies to be of immense value.

The whole landscape of research in urban studies was revolutionized by the publication of Richard Florida's The Rise of the Creative Class in 2002, and his subsequent book entitled The Flight of the Creative Class has helped to maintain a decade-long explosion of interest in the field. While these two books examine the creative class in the context of the United States, research has emerged which investigates the creative class worldwide. This book brings together detailed studies of the creative class in cities across the globe, examining the impact of the creative class on growth and development. The countries covered include the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Germany, Australia, China, Japan and Canada, in addition to the United States. Taken together, the contributions deepen our understanding of the creative class and the various factors that affect regional development, highlighting the similarities and differences between the creative class and economic development across countries. This book will be of great interest to scholars of economic geography, regional economics, urban sociology and cultural policy, as well as policy makers involved in urban development.