Regional Innovation through Situated Knowledge Conversion (RISKC)

Prosjektet tar utgangspunkt i debatten om kunnskapsgrunnlaget for strategier for smart spesia-lisering (S3 i EU-terminologi). Det legger særlig vekt på å forstå samspillet mellom prosesser på mikronivå (personer, bedrifter o.a.) og sporer og føringer på makronivå (næringsstruktur, institusjonelle ordninger o.a.) i utviklingen av nye vekstmuligheter i en regional økonomi. Prosessene på mikronivå handler om hvordan aktører konverterer og kombinerer kunnskap i ulike former (praksisbasert/ forskningsbasert, individuell/ kollektiv) fra ulike kilder (lokale/ globale, verdikjede, FoU-nettverk) i sine lærings- og innovasjonsprosesser. Disse er undersøkt gjennom intervjuundersøkelser. På makronivå handler det om faktisk og potensiell næringsstruktur og triple helix-konstellasjoner, undersøkt gjennom bl.a. kryssløpsanalyser, produktromkartlegging, spørreundersøkelser og intervjuer. Prosjektet har tatt for seg industri, havbruk, reiseliv og IKT, i Nordland og Trøndelag. Gjennom kobling til Nordlands S3-arbeid er en metodikk for gapanalyse i triple helix videreutviklet som bidrag til utviklingen i regionen.

An improved understanding of the balance between static and dynamic forces in systems of innovation can be reached by combining processual and structural perspectives. We bundle three overriding research questions, to be addressed by corresponding work packages: (1).What are the structural and institutional constraints and opportunities for enhancing regional innovation systems by linking them constructively to national and global innovation networks? (2) By what processes of knowledge conversion, and in particular applications of science based knowledge in the economy, can this be achieved? (3) How can processes of policy learning be developed that stimulate changes in formal and informal institutions supporting enhanced regional innovation capabilities? . The dynamic forces are networks and systems of innovation providing flows of codified/science based knowledge ( WP1), and micro level processes of converting, or applying this knowledge in the economy, through combinations of science based knowledge with tacit knowledge (WP2). On the static side we expect to discover (1) gaps in networks, indicating relations where expectations are not met, (2) structural holes, (3) absence of networks between institutions and actors that might be expected to share related forms of knowledge, as well as at the micro level (4) internal mechanisms of knowledge conversion all of which hamper the use of science based knowledge in innovations. These discoveries open the third research question. WP3 explores the ways in which the static forces are created or reinforced by the wider institutional context of the systems of innovation, such as R&D institutions, universities, other educational institutions, and in labour markets. This is done through comparisons of clusters with similar knowledge bases (analytic, synthetic and symbolic) between three regions in Norway , and between regions in Norway and abroad. These comparisons opens up for trans-regional and trans-national learning.