Abstract
In the literature devoted to interrelations between innovative firms and economic transition, only little attention has been paid to the influence of regional determinants. In line with the current academic and political debates on the role of regions for competitiveness and economic development, the aim of this paper is to provide some insights on innovation activities from a regional perspective. The investigation deals primarily with a Hungarian region: West Transdanubia. More precisely, the analysis focuses on firm behaviours and characteristics with regards to innovation and cooperation, determining remarkable facts on an empirical basis. This in turn enables a typology of regional firms to be established which may be helpful for innovation policy in West Transdanubia. The paper is organised as follows. The first section reviews the background of the analysis, addressing the concept of innovation systems and economic changes from a regional perspective. The second section, concentrating on manufacturing firms, contrasts innovation and co-operation patterns in West Transdanubia with two other central European regions (Saxony and Slovenia) allowing the introduction of comparative elements into the investigation. The third section examines the innovation and co-operation activities of manufacturing and business service firms in West Transdanubia. Finally, concluding comments explore policy implications, insisting notably on the current and future importance of regional innovation capacities.
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Muller, E., Zenker, A., Döry, T. (2002). Regional Innovation Capacities and Economic Transition: The Example of West Transdanubia. In: Pfirrmann, O., Walter, G.H. (eds) Small Firms and Entrepreneurship in Central and Eastern Europe. Technology, Innovation and Policy, vol 14. Physica, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-57460-3_13
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-57460-3_13
Publisher Name: Physica, Heidelberg
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