Franz Tödtling is retired Professor at the Institute for Multi-level Governance and Development, Vienna University of Economics and Business. His main research areas include urban
It has been argued that innovation increasingly depends on external knowledge sources. It is stil... more It has been argued that innovation increasingly depends on external knowledge sources. It is still unclear if relations to particular knowledge sources or to a broad variety of sources matter for innovation. Also, there is a debate on the issue which spatial levels are most relevant. In this context, we investigate the importance for ICT firms in Austria of variety in knowledge sourcing for their innovativeness and the relevance of geography in this respect. The results show that more innovative firms tend to exploit a larger variety of regional and international sources. We also find that R&D co-operations and in-house knowledge capabilities are highly important, while firm location only shows a weak association with their innovativeness. JEL classification: O32 (O31, D83)
... the internal innovation activity in the region, it leads also to a low absorption capacity of... more ... the internal innovation activity in the region, it leads also to a low absorption capacity of the ... industries led to a loss of regional competitive advantage and innovation capacity. This could ... with enhancing human capital (training of workers) and social capital (ie encouraging ...
Innovation has moved to the foreground in regional policy in the last decade. Concrete policies w... more Innovation has moved to the foreground in regional policy in the last decade. Concrete policies were shaped by “best practice models” derived from high-tech areas and well performing regions. These are often applied in a similar way across many types of regions. Here an attempt is made to show that there is no “ideal model” for innovation policy as innovation activities differ strongly between central, peripheral and old industrial areas. In this paper we analyse different types of regions with respect to their preconditions for innovation, networking and innovation barriers. Based on this classification different policy options and strategies are developed.
In knowledge-based sectors such as ICT innovation is seen to be as a key factor for the competiti... more In knowledge-based sectors such as ICT innovation is seen to be as a key factor for the competitiveness of firms. Nowadays, the innovation process is regarded to be highly interactive, so companies tend to rely on both internal and external knowledge. There are arguments that the character of knowledge and innovation links depends to a large extent on the density and the institutional setting of the respective regional innovation system (RIS). We investigate, therefore, whether firms in a metropolitan and non-metropolitan RIS exhibit different ways and patterns to source knowledge relevant for innovation. We expect that ICT companies in a metropolitan RIS such as Vienna rely to a much higher extent on local knowledge sources in particular from universities and research organizations. For firms in a non-metropolitan RIS, such as Salzburg, we expect a higher reliance on distant knowledge links with a variety of partners. At the beginning, we provide a conceptual frame, by introducing the concept of knowledge bases and a typology of knowledge links applying these to the innovation process in the ICT sector. Then we present some empirical evidence for ICT companies in the regions of Vienna, representing a metropolitan RIS with a high density of knowledge organizations and firms, and Salzburg standing for a non-metropolitan RIS with a lower size and density of such organizations. We analyse the types of knowledge sources, the channels of knowledge exchange and the spatial level of these interactions. In the final section, we will draw some policy conclusions.
... 21.8 18.3 16.9 7.7 35.2 Wales 103 ... outputs are also backed by respective inputs (R&D b... more ... 21.8 18.3 16.9 7.7 35.2 Wales 103 ... outputs are also backed by respective inputs (R&D budgets and staff) so that the pattern looks robust. In Aveiro the output indicators for innovation are quite impressive, but they are not really backed by R&D and qualification inputs. ...
It has been argued that innovation increasingly depends on external knowledge sources. It is stil... more It has been argued that innovation increasingly depends on external knowledge sources. It is still unclear if relations to particular knowledge sources or to a broad variety of sources matter for innovation. Also, there is a debate on the issue which spatial levels are most relevant. In this context, we investigate the importance for ICT firms in Austria of variety in knowledge sourcing for their innovativeness and the relevance of geography in this respect. The results show that more innovative firms tend to exploit a larger variety of regional and international sources. We also find that R&D co-operations and in-house knowledge capabilities are highly important, while firm location only shows a weak association with their innovativeness. JEL classification: O32 (O31, D83)
... the internal innovation activity in the region, it leads also to a low absorption capacity of... more ... the internal innovation activity in the region, it leads also to a low absorption capacity of the ... industries led to a loss of regional competitive advantage and innovation capacity. This could ... with enhancing human capital (training of workers) and social capital (ie encouraging ...
Innovation has moved to the foreground in regional policy in the last decade. Concrete policies w... more Innovation has moved to the foreground in regional policy in the last decade. Concrete policies were shaped by “best practice models” derived from high-tech areas and well performing regions. These are often applied in a similar way across many types of regions. Here an attempt is made to show that there is no “ideal model” for innovation policy as innovation activities differ strongly between central, peripheral and old industrial areas. In this paper we analyse different types of regions with respect to their preconditions for innovation, networking and innovation barriers. Based on this classification different policy options and strategies are developed.
In knowledge-based sectors such as ICT innovation is seen to be as a key factor for the competiti... more In knowledge-based sectors such as ICT innovation is seen to be as a key factor for the competitiveness of firms. Nowadays, the innovation process is regarded to be highly interactive, so companies tend to rely on both internal and external knowledge. There are arguments that the character of knowledge and innovation links depends to a large extent on the density and the institutional setting of the respective regional innovation system (RIS). We investigate, therefore, whether firms in a metropolitan and non-metropolitan RIS exhibit different ways and patterns to source knowledge relevant for innovation. We expect that ICT companies in a metropolitan RIS such as Vienna rely to a much higher extent on local knowledge sources in particular from universities and research organizations. For firms in a non-metropolitan RIS, such as Salzburg, we expect a higher reliance on distant knowledge links with a variety of partners. At the beginning, we provide a conceptual frame, by introducing the concept of knowledge bases and a typology of knowledge links applying these to the innovation process in the ICT sector. Then we present some empirical evidence for ICT companies in the regions of Vienna, representing a metropolitan RIS with a high density of knowledge organizations and firms, and Salzburg standing for a non-metropolitan RIS with a lower size and density of such organizations. We analyse the types of knowledge sources, the channels of knowledge exchange and the spatial level of these interactions. In the final section, we will draw some policy conclusions.
... 21.8 18.3 16.9 7.7 35.2 Wales 103 ... outputs are also backed by respective inputs (R&D b... more ... 21.8 18.3 16.9 7.7 35.2 Wales 103 ... outputs are also backed by respective inputs (R&D budgets and staff) so that the pattern looks robust. In Aveiro the output indicators for innovation are quite impressive, but they are not really backed by R&D and qualification inputs. ...
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Papers by Franz Todtling