Knowledge as a resource and knowledge formation as a process are seen as central to providing nations and regions as well as firms with a competitive advantage. This is captured by the view that the economic and industrial landscape is currently undergoing a transformation towards a knowledge-based economy. This dissertation engages with two views that have gained great influence in the discussions – in academia as well as in policy – on this industrial transformation. This concerns the view on which types of knowledge formation processes that are seen to actually provide a competitive advantage. There is today a prevailing tendency to connect the creation of competitive advantage to research-intensive, so-called high-tech, activities. It also concerns the view on where these knowledge formation processes take place. Much inspired by innovative and high-tech regions, competitive advantage is often closely associated with the role of geographical proximity for knowledge formation. The aim of this dissertation is to develop our understanding of the role of those knowledge formation processes that currently fall outside what is captured by these prevailing views. Three research questions are addressed. First, what is the role of non-research intensive knowledge formation processes in the creation of competitive advantage? Second, how can knowledge formation processes connected to the creation of regional competitive advantage be promoted? Third, what is the role of proximity in knowledge formation processes in the creation of competitive advantage? A qualitative case study approach is adopted for the empirical part of the research, consisting of one case study where low- and medium-tech industrial activities are studied and one case study where the regional dimension of knowledge formation is studied. Personal interviews constitute the major part of the empirical material. The research findings give evidence that reveals shortcomings in theory as well as in policy practice in regards both these prevailing views. It is shown that low- and medium-tech activities are still highly relevant, not only on their own but for the industry as a whole. Further, current forces of globalisation call for an approach to regional development that includes a dual focus of strengthening regional connections as well as facilitating and promoting extra-regional connections. This is particularly important in small, open economies such as Sweden. Further, the finings are in line with those requesting a multidimensional approach to the concept of proximity – one that regards proximity not only as a concept with geographical connotation but also with reference to proximity in context, cognition or value-systems. The dissertation suggests instead that an approach to industrial activities that assumes that those firms, regions and countries that can manage complex knowledge formation processes may develop competitive advantages. It is this ability to achieve and manage sticky processes in a slippery world that is essential for the creation of competitive advantage. And we are more likely to identify these particular competitive advantages on the firm level than on the industry level. Within every industry, there are firms that can manage more suitable ‘bundles’ of knowledge bases, network connections etc, which enable them to adapt at a lesser cost (costs can for instance be measured in terms of efforts, money or time) than other firms within the same industry. This is important to acknowledge – in policy as well as in theory – in order to not exclude important parts of what contributes to industrial competitive advantage in the knowledge-based economy. / QC 20100715

Inovacijos yra plačiai vertinamos kaip ekonomikos augimo ir konkurencingumo varomoji jėga. Regioninė inovacinė sistema gali būti suvokiama kaip inovatyvių tinklų ir institucijų sistema, veikianti tam tikrame regione, ir per nuolatinį bei stiprų vidinį sąveikavimą užtikrinanti regiono įmonių novatoriškumą. Regioninės inovacijų sistemos koncepcija akcentuoja sąveikos ir bendradarbiavimo tarp įvairių veikėjų, tokių kaip: įmonės, viešos mokslinių tyrimų ir plėtros institucijos, įskaitant universitetus, vieši ar privatūs technologijų perdavimo centrai, svarbą. Autorės darbe atliktas Klaipėdos regiono bendradarbiavimo inovacinėje srityje empirinis tyrimas ir pritaikant tyrimo duomenis sudaryta Klaipėdos regiono inovacijų sistemos SSGG analizė. Tyrimo objektas – verslo įmonių bendradarbiavimo veiksmai Klaipėdos regiono inovacinėje sistemoje. Tyrimo tikslas – išanalizuoti Klaipėdos regiono įmonių tarpusavio bei bendradarbiavimo su mokslinių tyrimų ir plėtros institucijomis ryšius inovacinėje veikloje ir atsižvelgiant į tyrimo rezultatus pateikti rekomendacijas Klaipėdos apskrities regioninės inovacinės sistemos tobulinimui. Pirmoje darbo dalyje analizuojami regioninės inovacinės sistemos ir resursais grįstos regioninės plėtros ir žinių persiliejimo koncepcijų teoriniai aspektai, taip pat inovatyvumo lygis Lietuvoje. Antroje dalyje pateikiama tyrimo metodologija ir metodai. Trečioje dalyje atliekamas Klaipėdos regiono verslo įmonių tarpusavio bei bendradarbiavimo su mokslo ir plėtros... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / Innovations are widely seen as the driving force of economic growth and competitiveness. The regional innovation system can be understood as a system of innovative networks and institutions located within a certain region, with a strong internal interaction that promotes the innovativeness of the region’s companies. The concept of an innovation regional system stresses the role of the interaction and co – operation between various agents such as companies, public research and development institutions including universities, scientific institutes and public or private technology transfer centers. The author of the paper undertook research into the regional innovation system of Klaipeda’s county. The object of this research is to analyze the interactions between enterprises and different research institutions in the region regarding innovation activities. The survey of enterprises measured different types of linkages which characterize firms’ innovation activity. The aim of the research is to analyze the interaction and co – operation in innovation activity between enterprises and public or private scientific research and development institutions in Klaipeda’s county, based on the results of the research to provide the recommendations on how to improve Klaipeda’s regional innovation system. The first part of the thesis analyzes the theoretical aspects of the regional innovation system, the resources - based regional development and the distribution of knowledge concepts and... [to full text]

The economic growth of a region is related to the stock of attributes and local capacity to innovate, as result of interaction of different actors - companies, universities, government, financial institutions, among others - that have formal and non-formal relationships, shaping networks. In this context this paper performs the mapping about the development and technological capacity situational subject to contribution, legal framework to encourage innovation, considering institutional relationships and their performance, based on the model built by Etzkowitz - Triple Helix, as a way to analyze the regional development from the perspective of the Regional Innovation System. The intent to evaluate the current scenario and the possibilities of strengthening the Innovative and Productive System of the State of Alagoas, in order to provide elements for discussion of development and innovative policy in the state. For this purpose, we used the Delphi methodology, in which local experts are consulted in the matter under discussion, trying to get a consensus on the answers as a way to build a scenario or projection, especially in the absence of historical data. We consulted forty experts in different areas of knowledge and geographical reality of the state of Alagoas, in two rounds of questionnaires and interviews. How relevant results points to: a) the local productive sectors not follow the strategic guidelines of national policy, b) the state´s production, mostly, is intended for local demand, without the capacity to compete in other markets, reflecting of low maturity displayed; c) state of art of science development in the state, with low index of application in productive sectors, with few exceptions, d) state policies have been characterized as the most appropriate than federal policies; e) there is an imbalance in the current scenario of the Innovation System of Alagoas as their systemic relationships, which are often ad hoc and uncoordinated. The obtained results can be useful to mobilize all the forces of the state, establishing common goals, able to leverage local development. / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico / O crescimento econômico de uma região está relacionado ao estoque de atributos e à capacidade local de gerar inovações, como resultado da interação de diferentes agentes empresas, universidades, órgãos públicos, instituições financeiras, dentre outro que se relacionam tanto formal quanto informalmente, moldando redes de interações. Nesse contexto é que esta dissertação realiza o mapeamento situacional quanto ao desenvolvimento e capacidade tecnológica passível de aporte, marco legal de incentivo à inovação, quanto às relações institucionais e seu desempenho, tomando por base o modelo construído por Etzkowitz - Triple Helix (hélice tripla), como forma de analisar o desenvolvimento regional sob a óptica do Sistema Regional de Inovação. O intento é apresentar o atual cenário e as possibilidades de fortalecimento do Sistema Produtivo e Inovativo do Estado de Alagoas, de forma a prover elementos de discussão da política de desenvolvimento tecnológico e inovativo no estado. Para tanto, utilizou-se a metodologia de pesquisa Delphi, em que são consultados especialistas no assunto em discussão, tentando obter um consenso nas respostas, como forma de construir um cenário ou projeção, especialmente na falta de dados históricos. Foram consultados quarenta profissionais, com experiência em distintas áreas de conhecimento e realidade geográfica do estado de Alagoas, em duas rodadas de aplicação de questionários e entrevistas. Como resultados relevantes apontam-se: a) os setores produtivos alagoanos não acompanham as diretrizes estratégicas da política nacional; b) a produção do estado, em sua maioria, é destinada à demanda local, sem capacidade de competir em outros mercados; reflexo da baixa maturidade produtiva apresentada; c) a pesquisa científica desenvolvida no estado, não chega a ser aplicada nos setores produtivos, salvas raras exceções; d) as políticas estaduais foram caracterizadas como mais adequadas que as políticas federais; e) há um desequilíbrio no atual cenário do Sistema Alagoano de Inovação quanto a suas relações sistêmicas, que muitas vezes são pontuais e descoordenadas. Os dados obtidos podem ajudar na mobilização de forças do estado, estabelecendo objetivos comuns, capazes de alavancar o desenvolvimento local.

The creation of a regional innovation system depends on cultural, territorial, political and administrative elements which are peculiar to each region. It depends as well on the levels of interaction and cooperation built in the actions undertaken by the organizations which promote innovation in the system and on the entrepreneurial culture expressed by the companies when innovation is perceived as something strategic in building competitive advantage. In this context, the aim of this work was to identify existing levels of interaction and cooperation between the institutions promoting innovations in Alagoas, by 1) mapping the System of Science, Technology and Innovation of Alagoas, by 2) devising a matrix capable of measuring the level of interaction between the institutions and by 3) identifying the degree of cooperation and the factors that compromise the good performance of these organizations, which have been promoting an innovation based on the model of the beehive, as a subsidy to the discussion of restructuring strategies and means to the strengthening of the Regional Innovation System of Alagoas. To achieve these objectives were consulted the managers of fifteen instruments provided by organizations which are fueling innovation in the state of Alagoas, as well as eight companies taking part in this process. The analysis revealed several weaknesses, as repeated actions and actions uncoordinated programmatically, due to the lack of synergy in intrasectorial interactions, losses of intersectoral relations and, therefore, the loosening of good performances on Alagoas’s innovation system. / Fundação de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de Alagoas / A constituição de um sistema regional de inovação depende tanto de elementos culturais, territoriais e político-administrativos que são peculiares a cada região, bem como dos níveis de interação e cooperação existentes nas ações desenvolvidas pelas organizações que fomentam inovação no sistema, assim como da cultura empreendedora das empresas expressa na percepção da inovação como algo estratégico na construção de vantagens competitivas. Nesse contexto, o objetivo desta dissertação foi identificar os níveis de interação e cooperação existentes entre as instituições promotoras das inovações em Alagoas, a partir do mapeamento do Sistema de Ciência, Tecnologia e Inovação de Alagoas; da construção de uma matriz apontando o nível de interação entre as instituições; da identificação do grau de cooperação e dos fatores que comprometem o bom desempenho das organizações promotoras da inovação, tomando por base o modelo da colmeia, como subsidio à discussão sobre estratégias de reestruturação e fortalecimento do Sistema Regional de Inovação alagoano. Para atingir tais objetivos foram consultados gestores de quinze instrumentos disponibilizados pelas organizações fomentadoras da inovação no Estado, além de oito empresas participantes deste processo. A análise revelou diversas fragilidades, como ações repetidas e não coordenadas de forma programática, em virtude da falta de sinergia nas interações intrasetoriais, com prejuízo das relações intersetorias e, consequentemente, do bom desempenho do sistema de inovação de Alagoas.

Orientador: Prof. Dr. Jeroen Johannes Klink / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Federal do ABC, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Planejamento e Gestão do Território, 2017. / This thesis consists of a case study on the experience of the Greater ABC Region towards a Regional Innovation System (RSI). It is sought, from this study, to identify possibilities and limits for the construction of such Systems. Since 1990, public and public-private articulated institutions of regionality were created by the main social actors of the Region, constituting an original regional experiment. After a quarter of a century, there are discrepancies in the results of such entities. In terms of public policies articulated among the seven municipalities wich compound the Region, there were important advances. Regarding the territorial economic development based on universities, industries, local governments and unions interactions, towards innovation and productive diversification, the Region has achieved far more limited results. In order to understand these disparities, a research was carried out focusing on statistics, documents and interviews of personalities from the Region at the four activity segments mentioned. The results were interpreted based on the neoschumpeterian and regulationist frameworks, which made possible significant advances in the understanding of the regional problematic. Nevertheless, certain silences and gaps intrinsic to such theoretical strands were observed. Therefore, after presenting the main results achieved, a proposal for an additional research path is suggested, aiming to overcome those limitations of the theoretical paradigms adopted. / Esta tese apresenta estudo de caso sobre a experiência da Região do Grande ABC rumo a um Sistema Regional de Inovação (SRI). Busca-se, a partir desse estudo, identificar possibilidades e limites para a construção de Sistemas dessa natureza. Desde 1990, instituições de construção da regionalidade, públicas e de articulação público-privada, foram criadas pelos principais atores sociais da Região, constituindo um inovador experimento regional. Ao término de um quarto de século, constatam-se discrepâncias nos resultados de tais instituições. No plano de políticas públicas articuladas entre as sete prefeituras consorciadas, que compõem a referida Região, houve importantes avanços. Já no que tange ao desenvolvimento econômico desse território, baseado na interação entre universidades, indústrias, governos locais e sindicatos, em prol da inovação e diversificação produtiva, a Região alcançou resultados bem mais limitados. Para compreender tais disparidades, realizouse pesquisa focada em estatísticas, documentos e entrevistas de personalidades da Região nos quatro segmentos de atividade citados. Os resultados foram interpretados com base nos arcabouços neoschumpeteriano e regulacionista, os quais possibilitaram avanços significativos na compreensão da problemática regional. Não obstante, observaram-se certos silêncios e lacunas intrínsecos a tais vertentes teóricas. Por conseguinte, após a apresentação dos principais resultados alcançados, sugere-se uma proposta de caminho de pesquisa adicional, visando a superar aquelas limitações dos paradigmas teóricos adotados.

L’objectif de cette thèse est d’établir par le biais d’outils économiques une meilleure représentativité d’un domaine de pointe spécifique à l’échelle d’un territoire, à savoir l’innovation. Ce travail de recherche s’inscrit comme un élément de réponse à une interrogation du Conseil Régional de Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur à propos de la détermination du « potentiel innovant » régional. Cette institution est à l’origine de ce sujet de recherche.Dans une première partie nous cherchons à comprendre et à analyser le lien entre innovation et territoire. Pour cela nous procédons dans un premier temps à l’identification des soubassements théoriques, et ce à travers une revue de littérature et une analyse interrogative autour de cette articulation innovation/territoire (chapitre 1). Une fois le caractère systémique de l’innovation mis en évidence, notre démarche nous conduit dans un second temps à développer une approche territoriale de l’innovation pour approfondir notre sujet (chapitre 2). Cette approche trouve pleinement son sens dans un troisième et dernier temps où nous appliquons à ce lien innovation/territoire le concept de « système régional d’innovation » (chapitre 3).La seconde partie de la thèse cherche à comprendre les « rouages » de l’innovation sur le territoire régional de Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur. Cette approche s’effectue à partir du cadre conceptuel développé précédemment et que nous considérons ici comme le plus pertinent, à savoir le système régional d’innovation. Tout d’abord nous élaborons un aperçu du territoire régional, notamment en utilisant le regard que les instances décisionnelles ont sur lui en matière d’innovation (chapitre 4). Cela nous permet de voir quel est le système régional d’innovation propre à Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur. De ce fait nous pouvons développer une analyse de ce système identifié, et cela à travers une lecture en trois temps du schéma de l’innovation régionale.Dans un premier temps nous identifions les éléments qui composent le cœur du système régional d’innovation (chapitre 5). Ces éléments n’ont jamais fait l’objet à notre connaissance d’un recensement complet au sein d’une typologie argumentée tel que nous le réalisons ici. Certes il s’agit là d’un travail à la fois dense et complexe qui se traduit par une très forte dimension descriptive. Toutefois ce travail nous est apparu nécessaire pour répondre à l’attente exprimée dans l’introduction quant à l’identification et l’analyse du « potentiel innovant » de la région Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur.Dans un second temps nous nous penchons sur les acteurs qui « gravitent » autour du cœur du système régional d’innovation et interagissent avec et à travers lui (chapitre 6). Nous cherchons à comprendre les moyens dont ils disposent pour innover. Cette analyse a recours à un certain nombre d’indicateurs et d’enquêtes. Elle se prolonge par la mise en perspective de la vision globale apparue via l’utilisation d’un indicateur composite.Après avoir identifié le cœur du système régional d’innovation et les acteurs qui lui « gravitent » autour, le troisième temps met en perspective l’innovation à travers une approche par les résultats (partie 3). Cette troisième et dernière partie complète les approches par l’identification et par les moyens que nous avons précédemment développés. Elle propose une approche synthétique du lien entre innovation et territoire par l’intermédiaire des brevets. L’intérêt de cette démarche est de proposer une approche de l’innovation à travers un output reconnu. / The objective of this thesis is to establish by the slant of economic tools a better representativeness of a specific domain to the scale of a territory : the innovation. This research appears like an element of answer to a questioning of the Council Régional of Provence-Alpes-Cote d’Azur about the determination of the" potential innovating" regional. This institution is at the origin of this research.In a first part we try to understand and to analyze the tie between innovation and territory. For it we conduct in a first time the identification of the theoretical bases and we realize an analysis interrogative around this innovation / territory joint (chapter 1). Once the systemic character of the innovation put in evidence, our gait driven us in a second time to develop a territorial approach of the innovation (chapter 2). This approach fully finds sense in a third and last time where we apply to this innovation / territory tie the concept of "regional innovation system" (chapter 3).The second part of the thesis tries to understand the elements of the innovation on the regional territory of Provence-Alpes-Cote d’Azur. This approach takes place from the developed previously conceptual setting and that we consider here like the most applicable, the regional innovation system. First of all we elaborate a preview of the regional territory (chapter 4). It allows us to see what is the regional innovation system of Provence-Alpes-Cote d’Azur. On this fact we can develop an analysis of this system identified, and it through a reading in three times of the diagram of the regional innovation (chapters 5 and 6).This third and last part completes the approaches by the identification and by the means that we developed previously. We propose a synthetic approach of the tie between innovation and territory through the intermediary of the patents (chapters 7, 8 and 9). We also propose some elements of assessment of the regional performance from the activity of deposit of patents (chapter 10), and we try to determine if an impact clean to the territories exists

Submitted by Nadir Basilio (nadirsb@uninove.br) on 2016-06-07T18:10:41Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Narciso Bastos Gomes.pdf: 1629149 bytes, checksum: 351c44b1d0c962cdbe06544920bf9db8 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-06-07T18:10:41Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Narciso Bastos Gomes.pdf: 1629149 bytes, checksum: 351c44b1d0c962cdbe06544920bf9db8 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-12-16 / This study presents a proposal of a regional model of innovation system idealized for sheep industry from Mato Grosso do Sul (MS) state – Brazil – bonded to the breendig of pantaneira sheep. Public and private agents, universities, financial institution and R&D centers composes such innovation system, which is committed through the innovation with the development of a nation, region or economy sector. According to the Schumpeter approach, the economic development is only possible under the effort of entrepreneurs, either by a set of agents committed with the creation of new products, processes and technologies or by their ability of disseminating them, which results in both technical and economic development. From Schumpeter approach and the Evolutionary Theory of Technological Development there has been a great advance on the recognition of the innovation system as a structure needed to revolutionize and develop nations, regions or sector. From the original idea of Schumpeter in pointing out the innovation as a driving force for the economic development and the innovation system as a strategy to develop learning and technologies through innovation, there has been a current evolution by some prospective studies focusing on the “design” and by the proposition of innovation system models of countries, regions and sectors. Thus, this study presents the regional innovation system as a strategy for the development of the pantaneira sheep industry productive chain in the state of MS. Since 2005, this activity has attracted the attention of public and private agents comprised with the breeding and slaughter, commerce, improvement of the animals as well as development and adaptation of such breed to the regional environment. Even in the 8thnational position in sheep flock and the 2nd regional position, MS state does not stand out as a great consumer nor as producer of meat, wool and other sheep sub-products. Aiming the standard breed, the regional agents of development has turned their attention to the pantaneira breed, by adopting some techniques of breeding, fattening, management, power and mortality reduction. This manuscriptis featured as single case study according to Yin perspective, with a qualitative and exploratory nature. The interview performed with eleven innovation agents chosen by snowball technique furnished the information that were analyzed via Content Analysis under Bardin (2009) perspective. We concluded that currently there is in the state the basis for the structuration of a engaged for the modernization of this regional activity through the strategies regional innovation system whose agents are the own actors that compose the sheep productive chain, who have been of professionalization and innovation under the neo-Schumpeter approach. / Este estudo apresenta a proposta de modelo do sistema regional de inovação idealizado para a ovinocultura do estado de Mato Grosso do Sul-MS e sua associação ao desenvolvimento da ovelha pantaneira. Um sistema de inovação é constituído por agentes públicos e privados, universidades, instituições financeiras e centros de P&D, empenhados em desenvolver por meio da inovação uma nação, região ou um setor da economia. Na abordagem Schumpeteriana, o desenvolvimento econômico torna-se possível pelos esforços de empresários empreendedores ou via um conjunto de agentes empenhados em criar novos produtos, processos e tecnologias ou pela capacidade de difundi-los e de gerar desenvolvimento técnico e econômico. Na abordagem neo-Schumpeteriana e na Teoria Evolucionária do desenvolvimento tecnológico, avançou-se no reconhecimento do sistema de inovação como uma estrutura necessária para revolucionar e desenvolver nações, regiões ou setores. Da ideia original de Schumpeter em apontar a inovação como força motriz para o desenvolvimento econômico e o sistema de inovação como estratégia para desenvolver aprendizagem e tecnologias por meio da geração de inovações, evoluiu-se para os dias atuais estudos prospectivos enfocando o “desenho” e proposição de modelos de sistemas de inovação de países, regiões ou setores. Assim, este estudo apresenta o Sistema Regional de Inovação como estratégia para o desenvolvimento da cadeia produtiva da ovinocultura e a criação da raça pantaneira do estado de Mato Grosso do Sul. Desde 2005, esta atividade tem recebido atenção de agentes públicos e privados envolvidos com a criação, abate, comercialização, aprimoramento dos animais, desenvolvimento e adaptação das raças ao ambiente sulmatogrossense. Mesmo ocupando a 8ª posição em rebanho de ovinos no país e a 2ª posição na Região Centro-Oeste, o estado não se destaca como grande consumidor e produtor de carne, lã e outros subprodutos ovinos. Para se chegar a uma raça padrão, os agentes de desenvolvimento regional têm se voltado para o desenvolvimento da ovinocultura pantaneira adotando novas técnicas de cria, recria, engorda, manejo, alimentação e redução da mortalidade. Este estudo caracteriza-se como estudo de caso único na perspectiva de Yin, de cunho qualitativo e exploratório. As entrevistas foram conduzidas com onze agentes de inovação previamente escolhidos pela técnica snowball. As informações obtidas nas entrevistas foram tratadas e analisadas via Análise de Conteúdo na perspectiva de Bardin (2009). Concluiu-se que atualmente já existe no estado as bases para a estruturação de um sistema regional de inovação em que os agentes de inovação são os próprios atores que compõem a cadeia produtiva da ovinocultura e que vêm se empenhando para modernizar a atividade regionalmente por meio de estratégias de profissionalização e inovação nos moldes da abordagem neo-Schumpeteriana.

ŠNAJDAROVÁ, Dagmar. Comparison of the region Střední Morava and the Swedish region Västra Götaland in area of information society development and regional innovation strategies. Prague, 2013-08-09. 89 p., 4 p. attachment. Diploma thesis (Mgr.). Charles University in Prague, Faculty of Arts, Institute of Information Studies and Librarianship. Abstract The main purpose of the master thesis is to highlight a development state of information society and innovation in Střední Morava region, to compare the Czech region to the Swedish Västra Götaland region, and to find factors influencing the regions development. A developed information society and a well functioning innovation environment are indicators of population wealth-fare in a region. Strategic documents, statistical data and projects are taken into account. The documents, the data and the projects are closely connected with development of information society and innovation environment in the chosen regions. Activities like regional innovation strategies and strategies for development of information society enforced on regional level allow better usage of local potential and specific region conditions. The efficiency of the strategic behaviour is based on collaboration of all regional parties, in effective human and financial resource allocation, and in...

Structural differences regarding the presence of large firms are likely to influence the performance of Regional Innovation Systems. Regions lacking large firms to act as brokers of knowledge and coordinators of regional (R&D) collaboration may have to rely on other actors to form internal and external links. We investigate whether, in this case, universities can fulfill the needs of Small- and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) with regard to coordination and knowledge flows. Using a data set of subsidized R&D collaborations, we compare universities' network positions in four model regions in Germany. Applying a Temporal Exponential Random Graph Model approach, we examine link formation and network structure with a focus on university–SME ties and their development over time. Results indicate that SMEs profit from connections to the university in all regions. Nevertheless, universities take more central roles in regions where the economic surrounding does contain fewer large firms as sources for knowledge exchange.

El principal objetivo de la presente tesis radica en la comparación de diferentes metodologías para comparar el nivel de desarrollo de los sistemas regionales de innovación. Una de las principales aportaciones es determinar por un lado el grado de robustez que las metodologías de evaluación de la capacidad innovadora ofrecen en la esfera regional. Tras haber observado las principales características así como las debilidades de dichos métodos, se pretende analizar las posibilidades que ofrece el análisis de eficiencia como método complementario en el estudio de la capacidad innovadora. El por qué de la utilización del concepto de eficiencia como propuesta alternativa a las existentes en la bibliografía radica en que las metodologías existentes están principalmente basadas en el concepto de cuanto más mejor , ya que su principal fundamento está en la cantidad de recursos utilizados, pero no en la forma en la que son empleados. En este sentido, creemos que la otra gran aportación de la tesis consistirá en mostrar la necesidad de incorporar criterios de eficiencia a las metodologías de evaluación (o benchmarking regional) de la capacidad innovadora. La metodología de actuación está constituida por tres principales líneas de actuación que se han definido como prioritarias para la consecución de los objetivos planteados con anterioridad: 1.- Comparar metodologías orientadas hacia la determinación de la capacidad innovadora regional en las comunidades autónomas españolas. 2.- Realizar un benchmarking sobre el Sistema Valenciano de Innovación. 3.- Mostrar la necesidad de complementar las metodologías de evaluación de la capacidad innovadora regional empleando para ello criterios de eficiencia. / Zabala Iturriagagoitia, JM. (2008). Benchmarking Regional Innovation Systems: the relevance of efficiency towards their performance [Tesis doctoral]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/3787