In this paper, we aim at re-assessing the undisputed positive relationship between innovation and economic growth by … questioning the view that R&D (and formal knowledge in general) equates innovation and innovation equates regional growth. We … several knowledge and innovation indicators, ranging from R&D expenditures, patent data, to newly released data on different …

linked fields. Our analysis uses 1.8 million U.S. patents and their citation properties to map the innovation network and its … strength. Past innovation network structures are calculated using citation patterns across technology classes during 1975 … predictive power on future innovation after 1995. This pattern is consistent with the idea that when there is more past upstream …

literature. We discuss if lock-ins are really inescapable, especially when innovation is concerned. Also, we address the question …