This book increases our knowledge of innovation policy by combining quantitative and qualitative assessments of innovation systems, and by adopting a progressive outlook on the conditions for an innovative Europe of tomorrow. Based on the latest developments in innovation research, the authors aim to draw practical and workable conclusions for policymakers. The first part of the book discusses the use of indicators to inform policy- making, progressively shifting emphasis from traditional to less traditional measures and from the national to the regional dimension. The second part investigates the internal dynamics of policy-making and explores the conditions to improve the effectiveness of innovation policies in Europe. New developments and challenges for the future are identified throughout, including the crucial problem of how to align existing institutions with potential challenges. In this way the book clearly demonstrates how the quality of policy governance will become an increasingly important driver for innovation performance of knowledge societies in Europe. The book will have considerable appeal to innovation policymakers, and will also be of interest to academics and researchers working on innovation and knowledge systems.

Regional Innovation Strategies
offers the first comprehensive analysis of the new wave of innovation-oriented regional policies. It draws conclusions from the European Regional Technology Plans and Regional Innovation Strategies, both in old industrialised areas and in regions where development is slow, and compares this with US and Canadian experiences.
Anticipating the enlargement of the EU, Regional Innovation Strategies also assesses the growing interest in the subject within policy, academic and practitioner circles in Central and Eastern European countries. This book aims to provide information on the new regional innovation polices and gives the first assessment of this promising pool of regional experiences.

Regional Innovation Strategies offers the first comprehensive analysis of the new wave of innovation-oriented regional policies. It draws conclusions from the European Regional Technology Plans and Regional Innovation Strategies, both in old industrialised areas and in regions where development is slow, and compares this with US and Canadian experiences. Anticipating the enlargement of the EU, Regional Innovation Strategies also assesses the growing interest in the subject within policy, academic and practitioner circles in Central and Eastern European countries. This book aims to provide information on the new regional innovation polices and gives the first assessment of this promising pool of regional experiences.

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.