This authoritative and enlightening book focuses on fundamental questions such as what is innovation, who is it relevant for, what are the effects, and what is the role of (innovation) policy in supporting innovation-diffusion? The first two sections present a comprehensive overview of our current knowledge on the phenomenon and analyse how this knowledge (and the scholarly community underpinning it) has evolved towards its present stance. The third part explores the role of innovation for growth and development, while section four is concerned with the national innovation system and the role of (innovation) policy in influencing its dynamics and responding to the important challenges facing contemporary societies. This comprehensive book is ideal for researchers and advanced students studying innovation theory, innovation policy and development issues. It encompasses the important advances of innovation research over the last two decades, providing a thorough insight into the evolution of the topic. Policymakers at the national or international level dealing with innovation would also greatly benefit from reading this book.

This outstanding collection charts the work of Jan Fagerberg on the relationship between technology, growth and international competitiveness. With an original introduction and a mix of previously published and unpublished material, the book covers all the main issues including: the technology gap and differences of growth and welfare; structural factors in the growth of exports and production, and the relationship between growth of GDP and trade performance. The final chapter presents a comprehensive overview of the theoretical and applied work on technology and competitiveness.

The rapid development of a series of technologically advanced, industrial economies in the post-war period has challenged conventional understandings of economic growth. The emergence of these economies has reinvigorated the long-standing debate about why some countries grow quickly, and reach high levels of productivity, while others fall behind. Until the emergence of the new growth theory, few neoclassical economists focused upon this important issue despite the existence of a rich tradition among economic historians and economists from more heterodox traditions. The Dynamics of Technology, Trade and Growth draws upon contributions of scholars from different theoretical backgrounds to discuss why economies succeed, or fail, in creating the infrastructure, finance and technology to develop rapidly and 'catch-up' with others. After an overview by the editors of theoretical and practical developments in the economics of convergence and divergence, the book features chapters which discuss the origins of the post-war catch-up and convergence boom, convergence in trade and sectoral growth, capital accumulation, investment and resource allocation, specialization, technological change, and the potential contribution of information and communication technologies. The distinguished contributors bring together in one volume a breadth of scholarship on economic growth, convergence and divergence, ensuring that this book will be widely read by economists interested in growth, technical change and economic development.

Technology plays an increasing role in competitiveness in the global market. This authoritative new book consists of essays - theoretical as well as empirical - studying the relationships between technology, growth, international competitiveness and employment.The first part of the book shows that international competitiveness and market shares are mainly determined by R&D efforts and technological advantages. It goes on to provide some evidence for the importance of home market size for competitiveness and for the role of proximity and trade flows for stimulating dispersion of new knowledge. Issues discussed include the implications for growth of technical progress as a learning process and of the degree of openness of the economy. The book also addresses the role of multinationals as vehicles for technology diffusion and of monetary policy in a growth context, and the effects of technical progress on the demand for labour, skilled as well as unskilled. Technology and International Trade will be of interest to academics particularly those in the fields of international trade, economic growth, industrial organization and technology.

Several attempts have been made since the 1970s to collect key scholarly papers and document the progress of the field of innovation studies. The collection of papers covered by this new research review, most of which were published after the turn of the millennium, stands on the shoulders of these earlier volumes and seeks to provide a broad overview of recent progress in research on innovation and economic change. In their choice of papers, the editors address the characteristics of the field of innovation studies and its relationship to other areas of (social) science: innovation in firms; factors influencing firms' innovation performance; innovation systems; innovation and economic "catch-up" and, finally, policy issues for innovation.

Europe's performance relative to the US and countries in Asia is a topic that greatly preoccupies policymakers who are concerned that the European Union is losing ground compared to other, more dynamic, parts of the world. This book presents the scale and scope of the challenges that Europe faces in adjusting to globalization and advances in technology. The evidence assembled in this book points to trends in European Union performance that policymakers will find disconcerting. In many areas, Europe has not kept pace with the technological advances of competitors and seems to have lost its dynamism. Employment creation has been lacklustre, new specializations have been slow to emerge and the rate of innovation has been disappointing. The core message in this book is that the problems Europe faces in key areas such as growth, equality and employment are all related to its failure to take sufficient advantage of technological advances, particularly the information and communication technology (ICT) revolution. It is concluded that a coherent European strategy for upgrading technological capability and embedding new technologies, especially ICTs, in society is long overdue. This book will be indispensable to scholars and policymakers in the areas of economic growth, international competitiveness, innovation, regional development and European studies.

Europe is confronted by an intimidating triple challenge - economic stagnation, climate change, and a governance crisis. This book demonstrates how these three challenges are closely inter-related. A return to economic growth cannot come at the expense of greater risk of irreversible climate change. Instead, what is required is a reconceptualization of what is intended by 'economic development' and a fundamental transformation of the economy to a new 'green' trajectory, based on rapidly diminishing emission of greenhouse gases. This entails a much greater emphasis on innovation in all its forms - not just technological. Innovation policy must be placed at the very heart of industrial policy and indeed of economic policy more broadly. Other parts of the world are also facing varying forms of the triple challenge, and while the governance challenge may not be exactly the same as for Europe and the EU, Europe is uniquely placed to take the lead in addressing the triple challenge. While this may well entail certain costs in the short term, it will undoubtedly bring considerable benefits in the longer term. It should also encourage countries in other parts of the world to follow Europe's lead in this transformation process, thereby ensuring that climate change is kept within manageable bounds. Addressing the triple challenge would thus provide Europe and its citizens with a new sense of purpose, revitalizing the EU and 'the European project' over the decades to come.

The concept of National Innovation Systems is well established in academic research and enthusiastically adopted by policymakers. Yet there are relatively few in-depth studies of how individual national innovation systems have evolved to their present stance. This book provides just that. The contributions of the book are threefold. First, it develops an evolutionary and historically oriented approach to the study of the development of these policies that may have wide applicability. Second, it focuses on a particular type of innovation, innovation in resource-based activities, that differs in many respects from the more commonly studied case of innovation in high-tech industries. Third, the book advances our understanding of the roles played by institutions and politics in innovation. The book includes contributions from historians, economists, and sociologists, and offers an unparalleled account of the development of one of the world's most successful economies.

Innovation is increasingly recognized as a vitally important social and economic phenomenon worthy of serious research study. Firms are concerned about their innovation ability, particularly relative to their competitors. Politicians care about innovation, too, because of its presumed social and economic impact. However, to recognize that innovation is desirable is not sufficient. What is required is systematic and reliable knowledge about how best to influence innovation and to exploit its effects to the full. Gaining such knowledge is the aim of the field of innovation studies, which is now at least half a century old. Hence, it is an opportune time to ask what has been achieved and what we still need to know more about. This is what this book sets out to explore. Written by a number of central contributors to the field, it critically examines the current state of the art and identifies issues that merit greater attention. The focus is mainly on how society can derive the greatest benefit from innovation and what needs to done to achieve this. However, to learn more about how society can benefit more from innovation, one also needs to understand innovation processes in firms and how these interact with broader social, institutional and political factors. Such issues are therefore also central to the discussion here.

Innovation is increasingly recognized as a vitally important social and economic phenomenon worthy of serious research study. Firms are concerned about their innovation ability, particularly relative to their competitors. Politicians care about innovation, too, because of its presumed social and economic impact. However, to recognize that innovation is desirable is not sufficient. What is required is systematic and reliable knowledge about how best to influence innovation and to exploit its effects to the full. Gaining such knowledge is the aim of the field of innovation studies, which is now at least half a century old. Hence, it is an opportune time to ask what has been achieved and what we still need to know more about. This is what this book sets out to explore. Written by a number of central contributors to the field, it critically examines the current state of the art and identifies issues that merit greater attention. The focus is mainly on how society can derive the greatest benefit from innovation and what needs to done to achieve this. However, to learn more about how society can benefit more from innovation, one also needs to understand innovation processes in firms and how these interact with broader social, institutional and political factors. Such issues are therefore also central to the discussion here.

The concept of National Innovation Systems is well established in academic research and enthusiastically adopted by policymakers. Yet there are relatively few in-depth studies of how individual national innovation systems have evolved to their present stance. This book provides just that. The contributions of the book are threefold. First, it develops an evolutionary and historically oriented approach to the study of the development of these policies that may have wide applicability. Second, it focuses on a particular type of innovation, innovation in resource-based activities, that differs in many respects from the more commonly studied case of innovation in high-tech industries. Third, the book advances our understanding of the roles played by institutions and politics in innovation. The book includes contributions from historians, economists, and sociologists, and offers an unparalleled account of the development of one of the world's most successful economies.

This handbook looks to provide academics and students with a comprehensive and holistic understanding of the phenomenon of innovation.
Innovation spans a number of fields within the social sciences and humanities: Management, Economics, Geography, Sociology, Politics, Psychology, and History. Consequently, the rapidly increasing body of literature on innovation is characterized by a multitude of perspectives based on, or cutting across, existing disciplines and specializations. Scholars of innovation can come from such diverse starting points that much of this literature can be missed, and so constructive dialogues missed.
The editors of The Oxford Handbook of Innovation have carefully selected and designed twenty-one contributions from leading academic experts within their particular field, each focusing on a specific aspect of innovation. These have been organized into four main sections, the first of which looks at the creation of innovations, with particular focus on firms and networks. Section Two provides an account of the wider systematic setting influencing innovation and the role of institutions and organizations in this context. Section Three explores some of the diversity in the working of innovation over time and across different sectors of the economy, and Section Four focuses on the consequences of innovation with respect to economic growth, international competitiveness, and employment.
An introductory overview, concluding remarks, and guide to further reading for each chapter, make this handbook a key introduction and vital reference work for researchers, academics, and advanced students of innovation.
About the Series
Oxford Handbooks in Business & Management bring together the world's leading scholars on the subject to discuss current research and the latest thinking in a range of interrelated topics including Strategy, Organizational Behavior, Public Management, International Business, and many others. Containing completely new essays with extensive referencing to further reading and key ideas, the volumes, in hardback or paperback, serve as both a thorough introduction to a topic and a useful desk reference for scholars and advanced students alike.

This handbook looks to provide academics and students with a comprehensive and holistic understanding of the phenomenon of innovation.
Innovation spans a number of fields within the social sciences and humanities: Management, Economics, Geography, Sociology, Politics, Psychology, and History. Consequently, the rapidly increasing body of literature on innovation is characterized by a multitude of perspectives based on, or cutting across, existing disciplines and specializations. Scholars of innovation can come from such diverse starting points that much of this literature can be missed, and so constructive dialogues missed.
The editors of The Oxford Handbook of Innovation have carefully selected and designed twenty-one contributions from leading academic experts within their particular field, each focusing on a specific aspect of innovation. These have been organized into four main sections, the first of which looks at the creation of innovations, with particular focus on firms and networks. Section Two provides an account of the wider systematic setting influencing innovation and the role of institutions and organizations in this context. Section Three explores some of the diversity in the working of innovation over time and across different sectors of the economy, and Section Four focuses on the consequences of innovation with respect to economic growth, international competitiveness, and employment.
An introductory overview, concluding remarks, and guide to further reading for each chapter, make this handbook a key introduction and vital reference work for researchers, academics, and advanced students of innovation.