Innovative ecosystems behind regional smart specializations: The role of social, cognitive and geographical proximity
The article shows how regional smart specializations that are currently considered as the most essential tool of European innovation policy may be assessed if they form innovative ecosystems based on social, cognitive, and geographical proximity. The article presents the concepts of smart specializa...
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Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
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Cognitione Foundation for the Dissemination of Knowledge and Science
2020-01-01
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Series: | Journal of Entrepreneurship, Management and Innovation |
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Online Access: | https://jemi.edu.pl/uploadedFiles/file/all-issues/vol16/issue3/JEMI_Vol16_Issue3_2020_Article5.pdf |
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author | Elżbieta Wojnicka-Sycz Marcin Kaczyński Piotr Sycz |
author_facet | Elżbieta Wojnicka-Sycz Marcin Kaczyński Piotr Sycz |
author_sort | Elżbieta Wojnicka-Sycz |
collection | DOAJ |
description | The article shows how regional smart specializations that are currently considered as the most essential tool of European innovation policy may be assessed if they form innovative ecosystems based on social, cognitive, and geographical proximity. The article presents the concepts of smart specializations and innovative ecosystems, as well as the concept of proximity and its aspects being of reference to smart specialization ideas. The concept of innovative ecosystems is presented from the perspective of its foundations and relations to other concepts and theories. Cooperation in the innovation process by varied actors is considered a significant feature of innovative ecosystems and the manifestation of social proximity. Related diversity of smart specialization areas indicates their cognitive proximity, and embeddedness in a particular administrative region shows their geographical proximity. The results of research carried out in the Subcarpathian region prove that firms in smart specializations are more Research & Development and innovation-intensive and more prone to cooperation than other companies, which determines their social proximity. The research also shows that smart specializations have positive effects on regional development, which indicates the efficiency of their innovative ecosystems. Related diversity of Subcarpathian Regional Smart Specializations (RSS) is also measured to show their cognitive proximity. Analysis of the locations of RSS companies indicates that they are characterized not only by regional but often even by local geographical proximity. The applied methods are desk research, web site queries, a literature review, statistical data analysis, as well as direct research based on a survey and econometric analysis of the results of the survey. The article responds to the lack of studies on smart specializations in the context of proximity. |
first_indexed | 2024-03-09T07:42:26Z |
format | Article |
id | doaj.art-aa87f23a17284b6b94c0616144edc4c4 |
institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
issn | 2299-7326 |
language | English |
last_indexed | 2024-03-09T07:42:26Z |
publishDate | 2020-01-01 |
publisher | Cognitione Foundation for the Dissemination of Knowledge and Science |
record_format | Article |
series | Journal of Entrepreneurship, Management and Innovation |
spelling | doaj.art-aa87f23a17284b6b94c0616144edc4c42023-12-03T04:24:52ZengCognitione Foundation for the Dissemination of Knowledge and ScienceJournal of Entrepreneurship, Management and Innovation2299-73262020-01-0116312916610.7341/20201635Innovative ecosystems behind regional smart specializations: The role of social, cognitive and geographical proximityElżbieta Wojnicka-Sycz0Marcin Kaczyński1Piotr Sycz2Ph.D. habilitated, Associate Professor, University of Gdansk, Bażyńskiego 8, 80-309 Gdańsk, Poland; and Gdansk University of Technology, Narutowicza 11/12, 80-233 Gdańsk, PolandM.Sc., MBA, Ph.D. candidate, University of Gdansk, Bażyńskiego 8, 80-309 Gdańsk, PolandM.Sc., Eng., Assistant and Ph.D. candidate, University of Gdansk, Bażyńskiego 8, 80-309 Gdańsk, PolandThe article shows how regional smart specializations that are currently considered as the most essential tool of European innovation policy may be assessed if they form innovative ecosystems based on social, cognitive, and geographical proximity. The article presents the concepts of smart specializations and innovative ecosystems, as well as the concept of proximity and its aspects being of reference to smart specialization ideas. The concept of innovative ecosystems is presented from the perspective of its foundations and relations to other concepts and theories. Cooperation in the innovation process by varied actors is considered a significant feature of innovative ecosystems and the manifestation of social proximity. Related diversity of smart specialization areas indicates their cognitive proximity, and embeddedness in a particular administrative region shows their geographical proximity. The results of research carried out in the Subcarpathian region prove that firms in smart specializations are more Research & Development and innovation-intensive and more prone to cooperation than other companies, which determines their social proximity. The research also shows that smart specializations have positive effects on regional development, which indicates the efficiency of their innovative ecosystems. Related diversity of Subcarpathian Regional Smart Specializations (RSS) is also measured to show their cognitive proximity. Analysis of the locations of RSS companies indicates that they are characterized not only by regional but often even by local geographical proximity. The applied methods are desk research, web site queries, a literature review, statistical data analysis, as well as direct research based on a survey and econometric analysis of the results of the survey. The article responds to the lack of studies on smart specializations in the context of proximity.https://jemi.edu.pl/uploadedFiles/file/all-issues/vol16/issue3/JEMI_Vol16_Issue3_2020_Article5.pdfregional smart specializationsinnovative ecosystemssocial proximitycognitive proximitygeographical proximitysubcarpathian voivodship |
spellingShingle | Elżbieta Wojnicka-Sycz Marcin Kaczyński Piotr Sycz Innovative ecosystems behind regional smart specializations: The role of social, cognitive and geographical proximity Journal of Entrepreneurship, Management and Innovation regional smart specializations innovative ecosystems social proximity cognitive proximity geographical proximity subcarpathian voivodship |
title | Innovative ecosystems behind regional smart specializations: The role of social, cognitive and geographical proximity |
title_full | Innovative ecosystems behind regional smart specializations: The role of social, cognitive and geographical proximity |
title_fullStr | Innovative ecosystems behind regional smart specializations: The role of social, cognitive and geographical proximity |
title_full_unstemmed | Innovative ecosystems behind regional smart specializations: The role of social, cognitive and geographical proximity |
title_short | Innovative ecosystems behind regional smart specializations: The role of social, cognitive and geographical proximity |
title_sort | innovative ecosystems behind regional smart specializations the role of social cognitive and geographical proximity |
topic | regional smart specializations innovative ecosystems social proximity cognitive proximity geographical proximity subcarpathian voivodship |
url | https://jemi.edu.pl/uploadedFiles/file/all-issues/vol16/issue3/JEMI_Vol16_Issue3_2020_Article5.pdf |
work_keys_str_mv | AT elzbietawojnickasycz innovativeecosystemsbehindregionalsmartspecializationstheroleofsocialcognitiveandgeographicalproximity AT marcinkaczynski innovativeecosystemsbehindregionalsmartspecializationstheroleofsocialcognitiveandgeographicalproximity AT piotrsycz innovativeecosystemsbehindregionalsmartspecializationstheroleofsocialcognitiveandgeographicalproximity |