The European Economy is currently in a slump, the worst since the 1930s. Although this is often seen as a consequence of the financial crisis that hit the capitalist world in 2007-8, we argue that many of the problems that Europe faces today have long term roots to do with the fact that Europe...

There is no shortage of syntheses or overviews on specific topics within innovation studies. Much more rare are attempts to synthesize the syntheses, i.e., cover the entire area of innovation studies, emphasize the achievements that have been made, discuss the implications for policy and point...

This paper shows that there have been important changes in how the global economic system works. A high growth regime has gradually been substituted by one of low growth. This change appears to be especially pronounced for small economies. Until the end of the 1980s the scope for technological...

During the last two decades we have seen a revival of interest in the works of Joseph Schumpeter and “evolutionary” ideas in economics more generally. A professional society honouring Schumpeter’s name has been founded, and linked to it we have had for more than fifteen years now a...

This paper contains a discussion and test of the technology gap approach to development and growth. The basic hypotheses of the theory are tested on pooled cross-sectional and time-series data for 25 industrial countries for the period 1960-1983. The sample includes, in addition to 19 OECD...

“Technology” and “competitiveness” are two of the most popular buzz-words of our time. Increasingly policy makers on both sides of the Atlantic link the two. But what do we really mean when we talk about the international competitiveness of a country? And what does technology have to do...

Entrepreneurial scientists who patent, start spin-off companies and commercialise in other ways are usually seen as occupying a dual role with one leg each in the academic world and another in the entrepreneurial world. This article instead argues that many entrepreneurial scientists should be...

Europe is confronted by an intimidating triple challenge - economic stagnation, climate change, and a governance crisis. This paper demonstrates how the three challenges are closely inter-related, and discusses how they can be dealt with more effectively in order to arrive at a more economically...

Innovation is often seen as carried out by highly educated labour in R&D intensive companies with strong ties to leading centers of excellence in the scientific world. Seen from this angle innovation is a typical “first world” activity. There is, however, another way to look at innovation...

This paper contains an overview and interpretation of the literature on economic growth. It is argued that, first and foremost, growth theory is about vision. It is concerned with questions such as: Where are we heading, and why? What are the options? Which actions are needed to arrive at the...