Table 2 Comparing and contrasting the main innovation systems approaches

Foundational Contributions

Adam Smith (1776), Freeman (1987), Lundvall (1992),

Cooke et al. (1997)

Malerba (2002)

Carlsson and Stankiewicz 1991)

Theoretical Elements

National Production Systems, Home-market theory of International trade,

Innovation as an interactive process,

Role of institutions

Evolutionary economics

Economic geography/regional science

Institutional economics (at least in defining regions)

Heavy reliance on NIS

Evolutionary economics

Industrial organisation,

Industry life cycle,

Development blocks

Neo-Schumpeterian evolutionary economics, Institutional emphasis,

Competences

Geographical Focus

National boundaries

Sub- national regions(originally); now shifting to supranational

Focus on Sectors

Focus on networks of agents involved in technology dynamics

Main Actors

Knowledge creating agents such as universities, political institutions, Industry

Industrial Clusters,

knowledge institutions

Firms, knowledge institutions

Firms

Known Issues

Applicability of the NIS approach in developing countries;

Mapping NIS and measuring knowledge flows among academia, state and industry.

The definition of what constitutes a regional system of innovation

Sectoral variances in innovation within and across national boundaries

The dependence of the TIS on the rate of technological change;

high uncertainty,

weak or absent institutions;

lack of specific actors