Title: Clusters, technological districts and smart specialisation: an empirical analysis of policy implementation challenges

Authors: Alessandro Rosiello; Michele Mastroeni; David Castle; Peter W.B. Phillips

Addresses: University of Edinburgh Business School, 29 Buccleuch Place, Edinburgh EH8 9JS, UK ' Conference Board of Canada, 255 Smyth Road, Ottawa, Ontario K1H 8M7, Canada ' School of Public Administration, 3800 Finnerty Road, Victoria BC V8W 2Y2, Canada ' Johnson-Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy, University of Saskatchewan, 101 Diefenbaker, Place, Saskatoon S7N 5B8, Canada

Abstract: Recent debate on industrial policy has shifted toward innovation-related issues and economic geography. The conceptual strength and practical implementation of some of these approaches is of concern, particularly the strategic approach termed 'smart specialisation' and its focus on prioritising economic activities with greater potential for growth by relying on processes of 'entrepreneurial discovery'. The cases of Lower Austria, Lithuania and Saskatchewan reveal a wide variety of developmental pathways and associated structures, suggesting that innovation systems should not strive toward a single format. Mechanisms for identifying a region's technological and knowledge strengths are identified, as well as the existing or possible access points to the market available to a region.

Keywords: industrial clusters; technology districts; innovation policy; smart specialisation; SmSp; policy implementation; industrial policy; Austria; Lithuania; Canada.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEIM.2015.073220

International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation Management, 2015 Vol.19 No.5/6, pp.304 - 326

Received: 28 Aug 2013
Accepted: 18 May 2014
Published online: 29 Nov 2015 *

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