ABSTRACT
The development of European integration from the European Steel and Coal Community to the European Union has led to the setting up of a number of original post-national institutions 1 which have contributed significantly to shaping the innovation process in the different European member countries. These institutions can be called ‘post-national’ for two reasons: first, they have created stable links between the main actors and existing organizations which have contributed to the fabric of national systems of innovation and have been supported by specific new organizations; and second, they have not replaced national institutions which continue to determine the specifics of national systems of innovation (NSI).
