Title: Smart regional innovation policies - from cluster approaches to place-based policies

Authors: Satu Rinkinen

Addresses: Lappeenranta University of Technology, LUT Lahti, Saimaankatu 11, 15140 Lahti, Finland

Abstract: The concept of smart specialisation (SmSp) has attracted widespread attention in recent years in the European policy arena. This paper examines the SmSp concept and its characteristics in the context of Finnish regional innovation policy, comparing it with the centre of expertise program (CEP), a Finnish regional innovation initiative, to assess its novelty value. The findings indicate several similarities between the premises of the two approaches; the main differences lie in the respective regional strategy formation processes, and in the comprehensiveness of SmSp and CEP from a regional perspective. These results can be of use in planning future innovation policies and applying the SmSp approach in regions across Europe.

Keywords: smart specialisation; clusters; regional innovation policy; regional policy; centre of expertise program; CEP; regional development; Finland.

DOI: 10.1504/IJIRD.2015.069719

International Journal of Innovation and Regional Development, 2015 Vol.6 No.2, pp.204 - 218

Received: 05 Mar 2014
Accepted: 24 Mar 2015
Published online: 29 May 2015 *

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