Cristina Chaminade

Rationales for public policy intervention in the innovation process: a systems of innovation approach

The question why the government should intervene to support R&D and innovation although a recent one, can be traced several decades back (Arrow, 1962, Nelson, 1959). Despite the extensive literature on innovation, the rationales for public intervention in innovation are still subject to an intense debate, especially related to new theoretical perspectives such as the system of innovation (SI) approach. Innovation policy can be defined as “the public actions that influence innovation processes, i.e. the development and diffusion of (product and process) innovations”. The objectives of innovation policy are often economic ones, such as economic growth, productivity growth or increased employment and competitiveness. However, they may also be of a non-economic kind, such as cultural, social, environmental, or military. As in any policy, the objectives of innovation policies are determined in a political process and not by researchers. Innovation policy design is a question of the division of labour between, on the one hand, the actions of private firms and, on the other, the actions of public organisations with regard to factors influencing innovation processes. For example, large-scale and radical technological shifts rarely take place without public intervention, while incremental innovation is normally carried out by firms without any explicit support from the government. To discuss the division of labour between private

Cultural Clusters, Global–Local Linkages and Spillovers: Theoretical and Empirical Insights from an Exploratory Study of Toronto's Film Cluster

This paper discusses the importance of global–local linkages for the development of indigenous production in cultural clusters by analyzing the interplay between the indigenous film production cluster in Toronto, Canada, and Hollywoods runaway productions. Global–local linkages are at the forefront of the current debate in cluster studies, the discussion has so far had only a limited impact on the research on cultural clusters. The paper identifies the limitations to the dominant cluster models to explain the difficulties for Toronto to develop its indigenous cultural cluster. The inclusion of the global linkages in the analysis of the Toronto film cluster provides a new insight into the current development potentials and barriers faced by the indigenous film industry.

Designing innovation policies for development: towards a systemic experimentation-based approach

This paper sheds light on how to address, conceptualize and design innovation policies taking into account the specific characteristics of innovation systems in developing countries. The main purpose is to reflect on the policy implications of adopting the innovation system perspective to the particularities of developing countries

Upgrading in Asian Clusters Rethinking the Importance of Interactive Learning

This article is concerned with unpacking the role of the cluster supporting the SMEs’ move from competing on low costs to innovating in the global value chain. By comparing four clusters in different industries in Asia, we highlight significant differences in the learning paths of the clustered SMEs. The aricle contributes to current discussion on up-grading in clusters in developing countries by (a) providing an explanation on how localised interactive learning, and thus clustering, relates to upgrading; (b) discussing the conditions under which upgrading requires interactive learning; and (c) identifying the linkages between particular types of interactive learning and different upgrading strategies.

The Geography and Structure of Global Innovation Networks: A Knowledge Base Perspective

This paper explores the geography and structure of global innovation networks (GINs) of two multinational companies belonging to industries with different knowledge bases. It contributes to the existing literature on knowledge bases, by studying both intra-firm and inter-firm GINs. By means of social network analysis based on primary data, we identify two different forms of GINs, namely the globally organized model and the locally organized model. The paper finds that, in addition to influencing the geographic spread of a GIN, the knowledge base also influences the way that a GIN is organized.

Global-local linkages, Spillovers and Cultural Clusters

This paper discusses the importance of global–local linkages for the development of indigenous production in cultural clusters by analyzing the interplay between the indigenous film production cluster in Toronto, Canada, and Hollywoods runaway productions. Global–local linkages are at the forefront of the current debate in cluster studies, the discussion has so far had only a limited impact on the research on cultural clusters. The paper identifies the limitations to the dominant cluster models to explain the difficulties for Toronto to develop its indigenous cultural cluster. The inclusion of the global linkages in the analysis of the Toronto film cluster provides a new insight into the current development potentials and barriers faced by the indigenous film industry.

Are Knowledge Bases Enough? A Comparative Study of the Geography of Knowledge Sources in China (Great Beijing) and India (Pune)

Using firm-level data collected through a survey in 2008 followed by semi-structured interviews with firms in 2009–2010, this article systematically compares the geography of linkages of the software industry between two regions, one in India (Pune) and one in China (Great Beijing). In contrast to what the literature on knowledge bases and regional innovation systems argues the paper points out to marked differences both in the organization as well as in the geographical spread of the knowledge sources in the software industry between Pune and Greater Beijing. The paper suggests that the literature of knowledge bases could benefit from incorporating the insights from strategy studies as well as innovation systems studies.

Building systems of innovation in less developed countries: the role of intermediate organizations supporting interactions in Tanzania and El Salvador

The aim of this article is to discuss the role of intermediate organizations in supporting different forms of interactive learning and capability building in small-scale business initiatives in emerging innovation systems in developing countries, using data from Tanzania and El Salvador. It is argued that different types of intermediate organizations have played key roles in linking marginalized economic actors to sources of knowledge and other resources that are essential for capability upgrading and innovation in both traditional and more differentiated economic activities. They thus play an important role in linking innovative activity, to maintaining and upgrading the quality of existing jobs in crisis, generating new ones where opportunities arise, and providing income crucial for family well-being in countries characterized by low levels of human development and high levels of inequality.

The Challenges of Globalisation: Strategic Choices for Innovation Policy

The vast literature of systems of innovation is rich in theoretical and empirical studies about the complexity and institutionally-embedded processes of interaction and learning. So far, however, this literature has not studied in a comprehensive manner the nature and types of strategic choices that public actors in systems of innovation are facing given the ever-changing social, economic and technological contexts. This chapter undertakes a first step designing an analytical model to address this fundamental issue. The specific point of departure is the set of challenges that the process of globalisation has been posing to systems of innovation in industrialised and developing countries, past and present. The next section approaches the general problem about strategic choices for systems of innovation and reviews succinctly the policy-related literature in the field, pointing at the missing elements and uncovered issues. After that, the chapter delves into the issue of uncertainty and selectivity, two core preliminary aspects for defining strategic choices. Last, the fifth section deals with systemic problems in the view of the globalisation context, and addresses the critical issue of designing a method to help public actors spelling out objectives and instruments unfolding their specific strategic choices for systems of innovation.

Strategy versus practice in innovation systems policy: The case of Thailand

Summary The paper builds up on the pioneer work of Martin Bell, who started studying the Thai S&T policy already in the sixties. In one of his latest work (Bell, 2002) Martin strongly highlights the need to move from a traditional approach to science and technology policy to a broader system of innovation policy, that focuses on capability building and on the interactions between the different organizations responsible for the creation, acquisition and use of knowledge for innovation. The issue of the rationale for public intervention under the systems of innovation perspective has recently received an increasing attention among scholars and practitioners. However, with few exceptions, this literature has been based on the analysis of innovation policies and innovation systems in the industrialized countries neglecting almost completely the specific policy dilemmas arising from weak and fragmented innovation systems that characterize developing countries. In the last few years, a growing number of developing countries have adopted the system of innovation approach officially in their innovation policy. Yet, there has not been an adequate attempt to systematically analyze how (and if) this has been done in practice. This paper attempts to shed some light on this issue by analyzing the innovation policy of Thailand. Right after Bells latest report on S&T policy in Thailand and the Thai Innovation System was launched (Bell, 2002), the Thai government made official a new S&T five‐year Plan (2001–2006) in which the system of innovation approach was officially adopted. This paper enquires the extent to which the IS has been applied in practice. The paper suggests that while innovation system approach might have been officially adopted by a government, the practice follows old innovation paradigms and hardly addresses the profound systemic problems of the Thai innovation system.