Regionalization of Innovation Policies: The Case of Japan

This article contributes to discussions concerning the geographical dimension of innovation systems by shedding light on recent ‘regionalization’ efforts being made in the Japanese context. The current government's cluster initiatives, with national industrial and science and technology policies centred on strengthening university--business links, are critically examined in light of the development of Industry--Science Relationships (ISRs) and Regional Innovation Systems (RISs) set within multi-level governance structures of knowledge production. The recent development of regional policies for innovation, set against the development of the globalizing knowledge-based economy, draws attention to issues concerning the limited scope of multi-level governance structure in Japan today. Regionalization of innovation policy needs to be situated within a wider geographical paradigm, which links knowledge value chains encompassing local, regional, national and transnational levels.