Recent developments in statistical methodology have facilitated international innovation comparisons. These, however, inevitably reflect both the industrial structure of the underlying economies, and the innovativeness of firms within each element of the industrial structure. The authors...

Both Ireland and Israel have, over the last three decades, established internationally competitive electronics industries. Israeli electronics has its origins in locally initiated R&D, is dominated by indigenously owned firms, and has its main export-market strengths in the research-intensive...

The provision of advisory support to small firms is almost ubiquitous in OECD countries, although it is organised in different ways and is justified on slightly different grounds. In England publicly supported advisory services are provided through the Business Link (BL) network. Here, we...

Hewitt-Dundas N., Andreosso-O'Callaghan B., Crone M., Murray J. and Roper S. (2005) Selling global, buying local? What determines the sourcing patterns of multinational plants in Ireland?, Regional Studies 39 , 225-239. Multinational enterprises (MNEs) have played an important, if not crucial,...

C OOKE P., R OPER S. and W YLIE P. (2003) "The golden thread of innovation' and Northern Ireland's evolving regional innovation system, Reg. Studies 37 , 365-379. The title embodies the belief, expressed in 2000 by Northern Ireland's Economic Development Minister, Sir Reg Empey, that innovation...

ROPER S. (1998) Plant size and industry-mix effects on UK regional productivity, wage costs and operating surplus, Reg. Studies 32 , 325-332. The ability of a region to create wealth depends both on the competitiveness of its individual firms and its industrial structure. This paper examines the...

Job creation and destruction estimates are made for Northern Ireland manufacturing using the ARD database. International comparisons suggest job creation and destruction rates in Northern Ireland were below those elsewhere. Job turnover rates exhibit the standard properties, however, with...