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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Main Authors: Elżbieta Wojnicka-Sycz, Marcin Kaczyński, Piotr Sycz
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Cognitione Foundation for the Dissemination of Knowledge and Science 2020-01-01
Series:Journal of Entrepreneurship, Management and Innovation
Subjects:
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.
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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
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AT marcinkaczynski innovativeecosystemsbehindregionalsmartspecializationstheroleofsocialcognitiveandgeographicalproximity
AT piotrsycz innovativeecosystemsbehindregionalsmartspecializationstheroleofsocialcognitiveandgeographicalproximity