ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on a subregional economy within London which has been identified, by the European Union (EU) and the UK Government since the early 1990s. It is concerned with the innovation support policies targeted at small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) within a selected regional economy. The chapter draws on evidence from a European Commission Targeted Socio-Economic Research Programme project entitled 'SME Policy and the Regional Dimension of Innovation' (SMEPOL). The main objective of the SMEPOL project was to undertake a comparative analysis of existing policies and programmes for supporting innovation in SMEs. Evidence from international partners in the SMEPOL study draws on to compare the innovation support system which exists in London's Lee Valley area with that in other European regions. The overall effect of support measures on the innovative capability of the Lee Valley region is limited by the small scale of all but the Business Link initiative and also, to some extent, by their fragmented nature.
