KIT - Knowledge, Innovation, Territory

Theme

Territorial dimension of the innovation and knowledge economy

Thematic scope

New scientific and technological powers outside the European territory are attracting considerable and increasing amounts of R&D investments. Against this background new opportunities arise but also the question of Europe’s ability to sustain a competitive edge in knowledge and innovation. The EC recognises the territorial dimension of the innovation and knowledge economy and its role in potential territorial development and cohesion in both, the Green Paper on the European Research Area as well as the Green Paper on Territorial Cohesion. Knowledge has in recent years become a key driver for growth of economic systems, and the access to knowledge is generally considered as a key condition for innovative activities in our modern economy. The project takes this policy context as a starting point to explore the territorial dimension of the innovation and knowledge economy. An overall concept is used including product innovation, process innovation and organisational innovation. This project will take into account the current state, patterns and potentials of regions with respect to the knowledge and innovation economy and identify new development opportunities through innovation for Europe and its territories.

Please read more about the main research areas and main results envisaged on the next page.

Lead Partner

Politecnico di Milano - BEST (Building Environment Sciences and Technology)

Detailed information on the contracted project team can be found under Transnational Project Groups.

Sounding Board

Eurico Neves, Portugal

Grzegorz Gorzelak, Poland

Budget: € 750 000,00

Project’s lifetime: February 2010 – December 2012

Delivery of Reports

Inception Report: 31 August 2010
Interim Report: 28 February 2011
Draft Final Report: 28 February 2012
Final Report: 30 June 2012

Publishing

Reports will be published once they are approved by the ESPON Monitoring Committee

More information

Please contact the Project Expert at the ESPON Coordination Unit:
Ann-Gritt PANNENBORG (NEUSE), e-mail: [email protected]

Main research areas

  • Current territorial state and patterns of the innovation and knowledge economy in Europe.
  • Spatial dimension of innovation and knowledge across different types of territories.
  • Territorial dimension of potentials and perspectives in different territories to further support the development of the innovation and knowledge economy.
  • Structural and sectoral features, local economic resources, territorial settlement structures, social capital and its role in the innovation and knowledge economy.
  • Territorial potentials and patterns for innovation and knowledge spill-overs.
  • Role of innovative clusters and regions in territorial cooperation, development and cohesion.
  • Impact of the innovation and knowledge economy on the competitiveness, territorial development, cohesion and socio-economic situation of European regions and cities.
  • Comparative analysis of the territorial determinants of innovation in Europe, United States, China and India and the position of European regions in a global context.

Main results envisaged

  • Conceptual definition of the knowledge economy to identify the territorial dimension and spatial trends of innovation and knowledge as well as territorially relevant elements of the innovation and knowledge economy.
  • Identification of spatial patterns of innovation and knowledge creation as well as patterns of innovation and knowledge spill-overs.
  • Evidence about territorial potentials that can be exploited in different territories to further support the development of the innovation and knowledge economy.
  • Measurement of the performance of the innovation and knowledge economy and detection of territorial potentials to increase this performance.
  • Building of a spatial development strategy for the innovation and knowledge economy by identifying winning strategies for innovation and knowledge development.
  • Typology highlighting models of endogenous regional innovation and knowledge creation and models of regional innovation and knowledge acquisition from outside the region.
  • Impact of mobility of inventors, highly-skilled labour mobility, cooperation among inventors, distribution of highly-skilled scientists on the capacity of regions to innovate.
  • Identification of social, environmental and economic aspects of innovations and knowledge economy.
  • European maps revealing the territorial structure of the innovation and knowledge economy, typologies of regions, potentials for regional development.
  • Innovative results to support policy development and formulate policy recommendations for the development of a successful knowledge economy at the regional level.

 

Documents

Final Report - Executive Summary

  • Acrobat Document | 601KB

Final Report

  • Acrobat Document | 7.40MB

Final Report - Scientific Report Volume 1

  • Acrobat Document | 10.96MB

Final Report - Scientific Report Volume 2, Knowledge creation case studies

  • Acrobat Document | 685KB

Final Report - Scientific Report Volume 3, Knowledge acquisition case studies

  • Acrobat Document | 1.22MB

Final Report - Scientific Report Annex 1, Dissemination

  • Acrobat Document | 92KB

Draft Final Report

  • Acrobat Document | 7.23MB

Draft Final Report Scientific Report Annex Volume 1

  • Acrobat Document | 9.75MB

Draft Final Report Scientific Report Annex Volume 2

  • Acrobat Document | 803KB

Draft Final Report Scientific Report Annex Volume 3

  • Acrobat Document | 835KB

Draft Final Report Annex to the Scientific Report

  • Acrobat Document | 65KB

Interim Report

  • Acrobat Document | 11.81MB

Interim Report - Scientific Report

  • Acrobat Document | 21.74MB

Inception Report

  • Acrobat Document | 1,013KB

Project Specification

  • Acrobat Document | 74KB