ABSTRACT
In this chapter, we will summarise the conceptual framework and the current debate on the evolution of regional systems of innovation in the European Union, adopting a globalisation–localisation perspective. Spillovers, particularly those associated with new technological knowledge, tend to be highly concentrated at the geographical level. The convergence/divergence tendencies of regional development in the EU seem to depend increasingly on regional innovative capabilities and on localised learning, which in turn shape the attractiveness of the region towards outside resources. The regional dimension of the cumulative nature of the innovation process, which also includes social, cultural and institutional factors, is thus becoming central in explaining the locational choices of multinational corporations, especially with regard to their innovative activity.
