Cross-border regional innovation system integration: an analytical framework

The importance of inter-regional cooperation and innovation are widely accepted in the development rhetoric of the European Union. The highlighted importance of both themes in the context of borderlands has recently led to the coining of a new concept, cross-border regional innovation system.However, little attention has been given to the empirical analysis of the concept. This paper suggests a framework for empirically validating the concept by examining the levels of integration between cross-border regions. The outcome is a proposed framework can be operationalized by measurable indicators of cross-border cooperation in a regional innovation system setting. The framework was further tested with illustrative empirical cases that demonstrate its feasibility.

This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Makkonen, T., Weidenfeld, A. and Williams, A. M. (2016), Cross-Border Regional Innovation System Integration: An Analytical Framework. Tijds. voor econ. en soc. geog. doi:10.1111/tesg.12223, which has been published in final form at http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/tesg.12223. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Self-Archiving