Title: Smart growth, smart specialisations strategies and impact of the technological districts: the moderating effect of business, geographical and institutional factors

Authors: Antonio Lerro; Francesca Jacobone

Addresses: Department of Economics, Mathematics and Computer Sciences, University of Basilicata, Viale dell'Ateneo Lucano, 85100 Potenza, Italy ' Department of Engineering, University of Roma 3, Via della Vasca Navale 79, 00146 Roma, Italy

Abstract: The design and creation of technological districts (TDs) recently emerged in the academic and policy circles as key-levers to activate smart specialisation strategies (SSS) supporting the vision of a smart growth (SG). However, it has been outlined that high-performing TDs and their knowledge base do not automatically translate into wealth and well-being for their territories and communities. The 'knowledge paradox' - suggesting that concentration of knowledge-intensive firms grouped in TDs and high level of investments in new knowledge do not necessarily and automatically generate the expected levels of competitiveness and growth, but other mediating factors may play a relevant role - is advocated to better understand these kinds of territorial development dynamics. Accordingly, a set of business, geographical and institutional factors as potential moderators of the impact that a TD may generate on the SG are introduced and analysed. To support these arguments, the authors integrate the conceptual framework with the analysis of a case study of an Italian TD aimed to enrich the proposed theoretical arguments with empirical evidences. Specifically, the authors provide the case example of the National Energy Technological District which is impacted in different ways by the effects of business, geographical and institutional factors.

Keywords: technological districts; smart growth; smart specialisation strategies; impact; moderating effects; knowledge-intensive firms; case study; Italy; business factors; geographical factors; institutional factors.

DOI: 10.1504/IJKBD.2014.065299

International Journal of Knowledge-Based Development, 2014 Vol.5 No.3, pp.221 - 237

Received: 29 Nov 2013
Accepted: 28 Apr 2014
Published online: 30 Oct 2014 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article