ABSTRACT
Concepts of innovation have changed in the recent years, the focus shifting from a company perspective to innovation networks and to systems of innovation. Old industrialized areas are generally considered as regions with considerable barriers for innovation and networking and with disadvantages in this respect. However, under certain conditions a renewal process may get started, improving the innovation performance of such regions (Cooke 1995; Heinze et al. 1998). Such a renewal will only become effective and lasting, however, if innovation activities reach beyond single firms and become "systemic". This requires networking within the region and beyond. In the "old" industrial region of Styria in Austria such a renewal process has been taking place. It is strongly related with the regional innovation system, which we briefly describe in the third section. Using results from a European research project (REGIS) we investigate the extent Styrian firms are in fact innovating and engaged in innovation networks. A final section focuses specifically on the automotive industry, which has been a target of an official cluster policy in the region. Here, the process of network formation and the role of specific actors of the regional innovation system are looked at.
