Voluntary certification systems potentially reduce search costs in markets with imperfect information. Service markets with many heterogeneous firms – such as the crafts market – are prone to information imperfections and can therefore potentially benefit from such informational mechanisms....

Small and medium enterprises play an important role in developing and transition economies. Recently, more attention has been paid to the role of networks in improving firm performance. By using data from the DANIDA project on SME survey with more than 2,500 manufacturing firms in Vietnam, we...

Despite a common EU directive on energy efficiency in residential buildings, levels of energy efficiency differ vastly across European countries. This article analyses these differences and investigates the effectiveness of different energy efficiency policies in place in those countries. We...

Die deutsche Handwerksordnung regelt die Unternehmensgründung in handwerklichen Berufen durch die Vorgabe verpflichtender Qualifikationsstandards. Im Jahr 2004 wurde der Marktzugang im Handwerk durch eine Novellierung der Handwerksordnung dereguliert, sodass für mehr als die Hälfte aller...

In order to better capture non-R&D based processes related to Learning by Doing, Using and Interacting (DUI) as a basis for policy advice, this paper empirically identifies DUI mode drivers of SME innovation. For the first time, a large set of conceptually derived indicators is used in a...

The 'doing-using-interacting mode' of innovation (DUI) is considered an important component of innovative activity. It describes informal innovative activities and thus complements the 'science-technology-innovation mode' (STI) based on research and development. While empirical measurement of...

Südniedersachsen steht regionalökonomisch vor großen Herausforderungen. Um diesen zu begegnen, hat es eine strategiegeleitete Entwicklung hin zu einer stärker koordinierten Regional- und Innovationsförderung umgesetzt. Die Analyse dieses Prozesses leitet Thesen für innovations- und...

Experiments are an important governance instrument to support niche development, promote niche-regime interaction, challenge existing regimes and manage transition pathways for sustainable development. However, policy and regulatory learning of experiments are under-explored in the transition...

While an increasing number of studies postulate that vocational education and training (VET) activities have a positive impact on the innovative capacity of training companies, empirical evidence on the topic remains contradictory. This study exploits establishment data from a representative...

Notwithstanding a recent upsurge in interest in knowledge intermediaries and their roles in innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystems, we know little about the interplay between the activities of academia driven intermediaries and their publicly financed counterparts. Building upon a combination...