Tracing the social dimension in innovation networks – from conceptualization to empirical testing

A ‘social turn’ in economic geography enriches our understanding of process fields by connecting them to this heuristic perspective. Collective innovation is one such process field that bears major importance for economic development. The distinctively interactive and relational nature of innovation (Bathelt and Glückler 2003; Fromhold-Eisebith 2009) makes it particularly susceptible to social influences from often individual or group oriented preferences and decisions. A better understanding of the social forces affecting collaborative innovation helps us to understand innovation dynamics and put into practice efficient support strategies for knowledge networking.