ABSTRACT
The regional and local levels are important sites of innovation given that innovation is intrinsically territorial and place-based and is highly dependent on resources which are location specific. In the innovation literature these ideas are linked to the concepts of clusters and regional innovation systems, two related but different ideas that are increasingly utilised by governments to encourage economic development and innovation. This chapter initially focuses on the development of the regional innovation system (RIS) concept and the reasons why innovation systems are regarded as having a meso- or regional dimension. Three particular features are identified: the collectivity that defines a region, the so-called ‘soft’ aspects of economic activity, and the extra-local or spatial innovation system. A typology of regional innovation systems is provided which highlights different categories of RIS with respect to aspects such as sectoral diversity, sectoral innovation, and competitive strategies. The typology highlights the differences between imitative strategies and ‘genuine’, or more precisely, disruptive or radical innovation in learning regions. Tourism is often prominent in imitative or low road strategies but this is not necessarily the case, as tourism can make a substantial enabling contribution to RISs. The chapter also notes the role of clusters as a systemic innovation instrument that coexist with more traditional linear-mode policy instruments. The concept of smart specialisation is identified as one of the more recent regional innovation frameworks for innovation that emphasises place-based competitive advantage rather than overly simplistic adoption of technologies as in the case of much of the writing on smart tourism.
