ESRI Seminar

ESRI Research Seminar
Knowledge-intensive Clusters, Regional Innovation Systems and New Policy Approaches

Dr. Michaela Trippl
Institute for Regional Development and Environment
Vienna University of Economics and Business Administration
Email: michaela.trippl@wu-wien.ac.at

In the last years, a substantial body of research has shown that the regional level plays a key role for the generation of new knowledge and its economic exploitation. Essential contributions in this respect have been made by the regional innovation systems (RIS) approach and conceptual work on knowledge-intensive clusters, which highlight the crucial importance of spatial proximity and favourable institutional structures at the regional level for innovation activities. A key objective of the presentation will be to provide an overview on the current debate on the foundations of regional innovation. The presentation will be divided into two parts. The theoretical part will deal with the rise in importance of RIS and knowledge-intensive clusters in the emerging knowledge economy. Special attention will be given to the nature and geography of knowledge linkages which are regarded as crucial elements of RIS and high-technology clusters. Furthermore, the character of new innovation policy approaches in stimulating a dynamic development of cities and regions will be discussed. The empirical part will deal with the metropolitan RIS of Vienna. It will present the key results of a recently finished research project on innovation and knowledge linkages in the Vienna software cluster. Moreover, the nature of ongoing changes of the RIS and the role of innovation policy in promoting Vienna’s transformation into a “regional knowledge economy” will be analysed.
Venue: The ESRI, Whitaker Square, Sir John Rogerson's Quay, Dublin 2
Date and Time: Thursday 12 June 2008, at 4:00 p.m.

Details of forthcoming ESRI Seminars can be found at WWW.ESRI.IE