Coordinating a conscious geography: The role of research centers in multi-scalar innovation policy and economic development in the US and Canada

Title: Coordinating a conscious geography: The role of research centers in multi-scalar innovation policy and economic development in the US and Canada
Format: Journal Article
Publication Date: September 2010
Published In: Journal of Technology Transfer
Description: This article contributes to the debate about the role of the region in the placement and coordination of research centers linking technology-led economic development and science, technology, and innovation policy. Through a comparison of how a "conscious geography" has informed the organization of innovation + development (I + D) research centers in the US and Canada, this analysis focuses on the variation in the models of multi-scalar policy coordination deployed through the I + D research center frameworks in the US and Canada. This article begins with a discussion of the theoretical arguments behind territorial innovation systems. It continues by describing the different models of I + D research centers in the US and Canada and the role of the region in each set of policy frameworks. The third section discusses ways policy outcomes are influenced by the initial consideration of the spatial distribution of production and innovation. The article concludes with the case for a policy model which prioritizes a role for the region as a site of economic and geographic analysis and a partner in the design of a multi-scalar innovation policy. © 2009 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.
Citation: Journal of Technology Transfer. 35. Issue 5. 460 - 474. ISSN 0892-9912. DOI 10.1007/s10961-009-9137-z.
Related Departments:
  • School of Public Policy