Innovative places and regions: implications for technology management

This chapter explores the growing evidence that cities are the nurseries for new innovation. This is anchored in a brief review of innovation theory, focusing on the literature on agglomeration, spillovers and externality. The implications of this literature are that it is increasingly important for economic competitiveness to have attractive and well-designed places. The implications of this for technology management are explored with four specific areas of concern including industrial policy, urban planning, infrastructure development and regional innovation. The chapter concludes with a discussion of data-based, place-based and technology-based strategies for researchers, companies and the public sector. The chapter concludes with an agenda for technology management that includes privacy, geospatial data and further exploration of information and computing technology as a complement for place-based strategies.