Economic Development Pathways and Regional Innovation Systems
Summary
The concept of economic development pathways refers to the trajectories through which regional economies evolve over time, shaped by historical legacies, institutional arrangements and the interplay of public and private actors. Regional innovation systems denote the geographically bounded networks of firms, research organisations, public agencies and civil society groups that jointly influence the generation, diffusion and application of knowledge. These systems rest on a combination of technological capabilities, governance structures and socio-economic relationships that determine a region’s capacity to diversify its industrial base, upgrade existing sectors and respond to global challenges. Contemporary scholarship emphasises that development pathways exhibit both path-dependent tendencies—where initial conditions and cumulative learning constrain future options—and transformative potential, whereby new combinations of resources, agency and policy interventions can redirect trajectories. Understanding these dynamics is essential for fostering resilience, inclusive growth and sustainable industrial change across diverse territorial contexts.
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Economic Development Pathways and Regional Innovation Systems publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in economic development pathways and regional innovation systems across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Path dependence: The manner in which past decisions and established routines constrain or enable current and future development trajectories.
Regional innovation system: A spatially bounded constellation of actors and institutions whose interactions shape the creation and diffusion of knowledge.
Sociotechnical capabilities: The combined organisational, technological and human capacities required to develop and implement systemic innovations.
Place-based policy: Tailored interventions that build on a region’s unique assets, challenges and institutional context to promote sustainable growth.
References
- “Oh Yes! Net-Zero”: Sociotechnical capabilities and regional innovation systems for British industrial decarbonization. Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions (2024).
- Towards a comprehensive understanding of new regional industrial path development. Regional Studies (2019).
- Pathways of regional transformation and Industry 4.0. Regional Studies (2021).
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