ABSTRACT
There has been an increase in the general understanding of industrial innovation systems and processes (OECD, 1996 and 1997b; Hobday, 1998), with some new, interesting evidence specific to the construction industry (Bernstein and Lemer, 1996; CRISP, 1997; Winch and Campagnac, 1995). In particular, the role in innovation of the government through its various public policies and programmes has been identified. It is this general knowledge of innovation, adapted to the characteristics of the construction industry, which constitutes the analytical framework of this paper.
