Spatial proximity is assumed in the literature to be a prerequisite and trigger for cooperation and, subsequently, innovation. This paper examines conceptually the role of proximity between actors for cooperation activities. Using theories and findings from social psychology and combining them...

The paper emphasizes the role of social capital in some particular rural clusters like the French "Poles d'Excellence Rurale" (PER) and the U.S. Rural Knowledge Clusters (RKC). The recent revival of the literature on social capital considers this resource as highly valuable when considering the...

Since 1997 the Hong Kong (HK) government has markedly changed its role from being a mere institution provider to being an active innovation promoter. As such, it has actively implemented innovation policies that focus especially on creating new funding opportunities and establishing several R&D...

This paper investigates the role of regional financial development, in addition to FDI, for regional innovation in China, using a more recent provincial dataset and more sophisticated panel data estimation techniques than previous studies. Two aspects of regional financial system development are...

The net-zero agreement on carbon emission from Paris 2015 gives a key role to fossil-free energy technologies with an expected multifold growth rate over the coming decades, when successively replacing oil, coal, and gas. In this paper, we delve into the EU's competitive advantage in the...

This study aims at analysing possible synergies between the Italian National Recovery and Resilience Plan and the Smart Specialisation Strategies for 2021- 2027 of Italian regions. Although Smart Specialisation Strategies are not explicitly mentioned in the Plan, we found that sixteen...

The paper aims to investigate regional participation in a new Portuguese Research and Innovation (R&I) programme (so-called 'Agendas for Industrialization') funded by the European Next Generation EU (NGEU). Using a probit model with sample selection and a novel dataset, we find that the...

This study was prepared by Nadine Fabritz while she was working at the Ifo Institute for Economic Research in the Department for Human Capital and Innovation. It was completed in June 2014 and accepted as a doctoral thesis by the Department of Economics at the University of Munich in October...

Begünstigt durch ein sich dynamisch entwickelndes wirtschaftliches Umfeld nahm in den Jahren 2005 bis 2007 die Innovationstätigkeit in der deutschen Industrie stetig zu und die Innovationsbudgets wuchsen. Der Mitte 2008 durch die Finanzkrise verursachte globale Konjunkturabschwung hatte auch...