Rhiannon Pugh

Universities and economic development in lagging regions: ‘triple helix’ policy in Wales

ABSTRACT Universities and economic development in lagging regions: ‘triple helix’ policy in Wales. Regional Studies. This paper considers the applicability and relevance of triple helix-based policy and theory, in the weaker region context of Wales, where the success of such approaches has been questionable. It calls for a broader appreciation of the roles of universities in weaker regions beyond a narrow ‘third mission’ conceptualization, moving away from a normative application of the triple helix in contexts very different from those in which it was originated. Instead, it supports the broadening of the original theory beyond the three key actors of university, government and business, and an increasing focus on diverse regional settings and spaces.

A step into the unknown: universities and the governance of regional economic development

ABSTRACT As the social and economic landscape changes, universities are coming under growing pressure to contribute to the economic development of their localities. This paper explores the increasing trends towards universities as key actors in the governance of regional economic development through activities to support economic and entrepreneurship development in their regions. A case study is presented of an institution in the UK which is increasingly situating itself in the economic governance sphere. Drawing on the experiences of those working at the coalface of economic governance activities, the opportunities and potential challenges faced by a university when engaging in such activities are explored. The ultimate goal of this paper is to shed light on universities’ activities in the realm of regional economic governance, an area currently under-explored in extant literature.

Questioning the implementation of smart specialisation: Regional innovation policy and semi-autonomous regions:

This paper considers the recent developments in regional innovation policy pertaining to the smart specialisation agenda from the perspective of a peripheral and semi-autonomous region – Wales in the UK. Through a case study of innovation policy developments in Wales over the past 20 years, and also a consideration of extant literature pertaining to regional innovation policy and smart specialisation, this paper finds a number of issues or shortcomings in the current predominant smart specialisation approach. These are traced back to the strong regional innovation system logic existing in European policy; a number of unresolved theoretical problems that could undermine the efficacy of innovation policy are identified. Both conceptual and rhetorical issues with the concept of the region are highlighted, and questions are asked about the applicability and tenability of smart specialisation approaches in semi-autonomous, cross-border regions, and for policymakers operating in circumstances of multi-level governance. This paper illustrates how such regions provide us with a lens or alternative perspective through which to reconsider our predominant theoretical and practical policy approaches, and highlights a number of potential problems with smart specialisation as it is applied in a diverse range of regional settings.

Transformation of regional innovation policies: from ‘traditional’ to ‘next generation’ models of incubation

ABSTRACT This paper explores a widely employed instrument of regional innovation policy: the innovation incubator. It proposes that incubation approaches are moving away from a ‘traditional’ approach strongly premised on physical infrastructure and high-technology, to a more interactive, participatory and social mode of innovation, in line with broader developments in innovation policy and theory. To practically illustrate this shift, we take two cases: a ‘traditional’ style of incubation in Wales, UK, and a ‘next generation’ incubation programme in Finland. This paper reflects on incubators as a mode of regional innovation policy, both past developments and future trends, to ensure that new policies and programmes learn from best (and indeed, worst) practice and build on, rather than replicate, past approaches.

From “Techniums” to “Emptiums”: the failure of a flagship innovation policy in Wales

ABSTRACT This paper examines the use of European Union Structural Funds to support the development of innovation policy within Wales during the period 2000–06. Drawing on data from the Welsh government and interviews with key stakeholders, it focuses specifically on the Technium programme, a high-profile technology-based innovation intervention that took a predominantly supply-side approach to supporting innovation, resulting in its eventual failure. Consistent within this is an analysis of the efficacy of supply-side policies using European Union funds to support research and development activities to aid economic growth in peripheral, weaker regions.

The Entrepreneurial University and the Region : what role for Entrepreneurship Departments?

ABSTRACT This paper investigates the concept of the entrepreneurial university by examining roles of academic entrepreneurship departments in driving regional economic development outcomes. While a wealth of research investigates the role, activities and function of the entrepreneurial university, very little which focuses specifically on academic entrepreneurship departments, where much of the research, teaching and knowledge exchange concerning entrepreneurship takes place. Two case studies of large and active entrepreneurship departments are presented to illustrate the different roles and activities they undertake in the sphere of economic development in their regions or locales. A dual model of engagement is proposed, whereby the entrepreneurship department operates within the framework of the entrepreneurial university, but also as a regional actor in its own right.

Innovation studies: a North–South global perspective

ABSTRACT The student of innovation studies is faced with a vast, multi-national and interdisciplinary field on which she must gain an overview and make a novel contribution. There exist a plethora of academic journals, networks, conferences and fora wherein researchers of innovation discuss and advance the topic. How to manage and understand this is a major challenge. This paper helps to make sense of this often confusing and ever-shifting field by reviewing the major developments over the past 20 years, highlighting the present ‘state of the art’ and identifying some important trends going forwards. It does this through a review of the published themes of two major international conferences in the field – Danish Research Unit for Industrial Dynamics (DRUID) and Global Network for the Economics of Learning, Innovation, and Competence Building Systems (GLOBELICS) – to gain a global view on the field. At the heart of the exploration is whether the sphere of innovation studies has evolved coherently worldwide, or there are geographic differences.