ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book evaluates the proposition that the forces supposedly driving the process of globalization have important implications for the relationship between: supra national, national and sub national state structures; organizational structures, work and employment; and regional governance structures. It explores the potential of regional innovation strategies in less favoured regions and concludes a criticism for confining themselves to a narrow 'metric of development'. The book discusses the importance of knowledge generation and distribution to support national competitiveness in the biotechnology field. It addresses questions of governance and new governance structures. The book deals with an issue that is often overlooked, downplayed or simply ignored in much recent debate on globalization, New Regionalism and development generally. A defining feature of globalization is the re-emergence of the local and regional economy as an important unit of innovation.
