Jan Vang

Face-to-Face, Buzz and Knowledge Bases: Socio-Spatial Implications for Learning, Innovation and Innovation Policy

Whilst concurring with the new streams of literature in geography that highlight the importance of face-to-face and ‘buzz’ in the globalizing learning economy, we argue that this literature is misleading on three interrelated counts. Firstly, it conflates face-to-face and buzz; secondly, it fails to distinguish between the importance of face-to-face and buzz for industries drawing on different knowledge bases; and, thirdly, these conceptual inadequacies lead to an exaggeration of the importance of cities as sites for creativity and innovation, and hence regional competitiveness. By applying an industrial knowledge base approach, we seek to reconstruct an alternative framework that allows for a systematic differentiation between the importance of face-to-face and buzz for different industries. This provides a framework for developing a more nuanced understanding of the spatial implications of face-to-face communication and buzz for learning and innovation.

Asia's innovation systems in transition

The success of Asian economies (first Japan, then Taiwan, South Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong and, more recently, China and India) has made it tempting to look for ‘an Asian model of development’. However, the strength of Asian development lies less in strategies that reproduce successful national systems of innovation and more in the capacity for institutional change to open up new development trajectories with greater emphasis on knowledge and learning. The select group of contributors demonstrate that although there are important differences among Asian countries in terms of institutional set-ups supporting innovation, government policies and industrial structures, they share common transitional processes to cope with the globalizing learning economy.

STRATEGIC OUTSOURCING OF IT SERVICES: THEORETICAL STOCKTAKING AND EMPIRICAL CHALLENGES

This paper presents a review of existing theoretical perspectives and empirical work on strategic IT outsourcing. By presenting the main findings of various recent studies and elaborating on current research gaps it conveys a picture of the past research, the present findings and the future applications of IT outsourcing. Prior research has generated theoretical insights and largely qualitative evidence on IT outsourcing. While quantitative studies remain sparse, limited to decision making and performance, there is a lack of quantitative empirical research examining outsourcing processes more comprehensively. This paper outlines a simple, yet integrative process model and develops propositions, which serve to integrate and compare theoretical strands, to evaluate existing empirical research and to stimulate new avenues of empirical research.

Innovation system research and developing countries

This Handbook is the first attempt to adapt the IS approach to developing countries from a theoretical and empirical viewpoint. The Handbook brings eminent scholars in economics, innovation and development studies together with promising young researchers to review the literature and push theoretical boundaries. They critically review the IS approach and its adequacy for developing countries, discuss the relationship between IS and development, and address the question of how it should be adapted to the realities of developing nations.

Regions, absorptive capacity and strategic coupling with hightech TNCs: Lessons from India and China

This article is concerned with what conditions successful development of high-tech regions in developing countries. It argues that the recent regional turn in development studies should be welcomed as regions play an increasingly important role for high-tech industries in developed and developing countries. While acknowledging the insights stemming from the regional turn the article nevertheless argues the need to extent the theoretical perspectives and to apply a regional innovation systems (RIS) approach. RIS has its strength in theoretically linking regions and high-tech industries. This article contextualises RIS to the situations characterising developing countries. Special attention is paid to how regions in developing countries can engage in a strategic coupling with high-tech TNCs. The importance of RIS as an analytical approach and tool for policy prescription is illustrated by two Asian high-tech cases, namely Bangalores IT RIS in India and Shanghais high-tech RIS in China.This article is concerned with what conditions successful development of high-tech regions in developing countries. It argues that the recent regional turn in development studies should be welcomed as regions play an increasingly important role for high-tech industries in developed and developing countries. While acknowledging the insights stemming from the regional turn the article nevertheless argues the need to extent the theoretical perspectives and to apply a regional innovation systems (RIS) approach. RIS has its strength in theoretically linking regions and high-tech industries. This article contextualises RIS to the situations characterising developing countries. Special attention is paid to how regions in developing countries can engage in a strategic coupling with high-tech TNCs. The importance of RIS as an analytical approach and tool for policy prescription is illustrated by two Asian high-tech cases, namely Bangalores IT RIS in India and Shanghais high-tech RIS in China.

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.

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.

Introduction: Innovation in Services

This special issue of Industry and Innovation brings together five empirical and conceptual contributions to the study of innovation in services,1 presenting several important insights in a new and...