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Regional foresight and dynamics of smart specialization : A typology of regional diversification patterns

Piirainen, Kalle A. ; Tanner, Anne Nygaard LU and Alkærsig, Lars (2017) In Technological Forecasting and Social Change 115. p.289-300
Abstract

The concept of smart specialization has attracted great interest and has been adopted widely in European regional and innovation policy. Foresight is an important part of creating smart specialization strategies. However, both the smart specialization concept and foresight have been criticized for lacking an empirical and theoretical foundation that can help guide their application in practice. This paper contributes to the theoretical foundation of smart specialization and regional foresight by drawing on the field of economic geography and elaborating a typology for patterns of smart specialization. We highlight that there are different paths to reaching smart specialization within the same industrial domain. The empirical research... (More)

The concept of smart specialization has attracted great interest and has been adopted widely in European regional and innovation policy. Foresight is an important part of creating smart specialization strategies. However, both the smart specialization concept and foresight have been criticized for lacking an empirical and theoretical foundation that can help guide their application in practice. This paper contributes to the theoretical foundation of smart specialization and regional foresight by drawing on the field of economic geography and elaborating a typology for patterns of smart specialization. We highlight that there are different paths to reaching smart specialization within the same industrial domain. The empirical research focuses on the offshore wind service sector in four regions around the North Sea. The findings corroborate a typology that offers four distinct patterns-diversification, transition, radical foundation, and modernization-all of which can enable the creation of new industrial activities where regions enter an emerging industry based on fundamentally different starting points.

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author
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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Foresight, Offshore wind servicing, Regional branching, Regional foresight, Renewable energy, Smart specialization dynamics, Smart specialization policy, Theory
in
Technological Forecasting and Social Change
volume
115
pages
289 - 300
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • scopus:84995642082
  • wos:000393347100025
ISSN
0040-1625
DOI
10.1016/j.techfore.2016.06.027
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
427e8bfb-da93-4476-a004-0f31b3da4e0e
date added to LUP
2016-12-07 06:30:45
date last changed
2024-04-05 12:03:52
@article{427e8bfb-da93-4476-a004-0f31b3da4e0e,
  abstract     = {{<p>The concept of smart specialization has attracted great interest and has been adopted widely in European regional and innovation policy. Foresight is an important part of creating smart specialization strategies. However, both the smart specialization concept and foresight have been criticized for lacking an empirical and theoretical foundation that can help guide their application in practice. This paper contributes to the theoretical foundation of smart specialization and regional foresight by drawing on the field of economic geography and elaborating a typology for patterns of smart specialization. We highlight that there are different paths to reaching smart specialization within the same industrial domain. The empirical research focuses on the offshore wind service sector in four regions around the North Sea. The findings corroborate a typology that offers four distinct patterns-diversification, transition, radical foundation, and modernization-all of which can enable the creation of new industrial activities where regions enter an emerging industry based on fundamentally different starting points.</p>}},
  author       = {{Piirainen, Kalle A. and Tanner, Anne Nygaard and Alkærsig, Lars}},
  issn         = {{0040-1625}},
  keywords     = {{Foresight; Offshore wind servicing; Regional branching; Regional foresight; Renewable energy; Smart specialization dynamics; Smart specialization policy; Theory}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  pages        = {{289--300}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Technological Forecasting and Social Change}},
  title        = {{Regional foresight and dynamics of smart specialization : A typology of regional diversification patterns}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2016.06.027}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.techfore.2016.06.027}},
  volume       = {{115}},
  year         = {{2017}},
}