Abstract
In this paper, we investigate the role of exaptation as source of smart specialization in European Regional Policy. Technological exaptation is the cooption of an existing technology to a new and unanticipated domain of application. Therefore, the novelty is not in the technology, but where this technology is applied. For this reason, exaptation might be a significant source of smart specialization and regional competitiveness as it does not require covering a technological gap but finding new areas of redeployment for an existing specialization in interindustry and multi-specialization perspectives. Despite the key role exaptation may have played as a source of smart specialization, it has not been included in the EU smart strategy toolkit. Therefore, with this paper, we highlight the key role exaptation may play in shaping the competitiveness of EU regions and draft a policy to leverage exaptation in EU regions starting from new matching between tacitness and codification.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Similar content being viewed by others
Notes
- 1.
Modest and moderate inventor regions are not included because of the low number of patents which make relative indicators lowly performing.
References
Andriani P, Carignani G (2014) Modular exaptation: A missing link in the synthesis of artificial form. Res Policy 43(9):1608–1620
Andriani P, Cattani G (2016) Exaptation as source of creativity, innovation, and diversity: introduction to the special section. Ind Corp Change 25(1):115–131
Andriani P, Ali A, Mastrogiorgio M (2017) Measuring exaptation and its impact on innovation, search, and problem solving. Organ Sci 28(2):320–338
Balland PA, Boschma R, Crespo J, Rigby DL (2019) Smart specialization policy in the European Union: relatedness, knowledge complexity and regional diversification. Reg Stud 53(9):1252–1268
Bianchi P, Labory S (2019) Le Nuove Politiche Industriali dell’Unione Europea. Il Mulino, Bo
Boschma R, Coenen L, Frenken K, Truffer B (2017) Towards a theory of regional diversification: combining insights from evolutionary economic geography and transition studies. Reg Stud 51(1):31–45
Cappellin R, Ciciotti E, Garofoli G, Marelli E, Pilotti L et al (2019) The industrial policy in Europe; Seminar Document presented in Bruxelles 4 December 2019
Castaldi C, Frenken K, Los B (2015) Related variety, unrelated variety and technological breakthroughs: an analysis of US state-level patenting. Reg Stud 49(5):767–781
Cattani G (2005) Preadaptation, firm heterogeneity, and technological performance: a study on the evolution of fiber optics, 1970–1995. Organ Sci 16(6):563–580
Cattani G (2008) Reply to Dew’s (2007) commentary: pre-adaptation, exaptation and technology speciation: a comment on Cattani (2006). Ind Corp Change 17(3):585–596
Cattani G (2006) Technological pre-adaptation, speciation, and emergence of new technologies: how Corning invented and developed fiber optics. Ind Corp Change 15(2):285–318
De Noni I, Orsi L, Belussi F (2018) The role of collaborative networks in supporting the innovation performances of lagging-behind European regions. Res Policy 47(1):1–13
Dew N (2007) Pre-adaptation, exaptation and technology speciation: a comment on Cattani (2006). Ind Corp Change 16(1):155–160
Dew N, Sarasvathy SD, Venkataraman S (2004) The economic implications of exaptation. J Evol Econ 14(1):69–84
Foray D (2016) On the policy space of smart specialization strategies. Eur Plan Stud 24(8):1428–1437
Foray D (2018) Smart specialization strategies as a case of mission-oriented policy—a case study on the emergence of new policy practices. Ind Corp Change 27(5):817–832
Gould SJ, Vrba ES (1982) Exaptation—a missing term in the science of form. Paleobiology 8(1):4–15
Mastrogiorgio M, Gilsing V (2016) Innovation through exaptation and its determinants: the role of technological complexity, analogy making & patent scope. Res Policy 45(7):1419–1435
McCann P, Ortega-Argilés R (2015) Smart specialization, regional growth and applications to European Union cohesion policy. Reg Stud 49(8):1291–1302
Mokyr J (1990) Punctuated equilibria and technological progress. Am Econ Rev 80(2):350
Pilotti (2017) Produttività cognitive e Politiche industriali locali. EAI-Edizioni Accademiche Italiane, Berlin
Pilotti (2019) Organizzazioni emotive (creative e intelligenti). McGraw Hill Italia
Shane S (2001) Technological opportunities and new firm creation. Manage Sci 47(2):205–220
Shane S, Venkataraman S (2001) Entrepreneurship as a field of research: aresponse to Zahra and Dess, Singh, and Erikson. Acad Manag Rev 26(1):13–16
Simon HA (1962) New developments in the theory of the firm. Am Econ Rev 52(2):1–15
Simon HA (1995) Near decomposability and complexity: how a mind resides in a brain. In: Santa fe institute studies in the sciences of complexity-proceedings, vol 22. Addison-wesley publishing co, pp 25–25
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2020 Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
De Noni, I., Ganzaroli, A., Pilotti, L. (2020). Mapping Exaptation as Source of Smart Specialization in European Regional Policy Between Tacitness and Codification. In: La Porta, C., Zapperi, S., Pilotti, L. (eds) Understanding Innovation Through Exaptation. The Frontiers Collection. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-45784-6_8
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-45784-6_8
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-030-45783-9
Online ISBN: 978-3-030-45784-6
eBook Packages: Physics and AstronomyPhysics and Astronomy (R0)