NETWORK MODELS OF REGIONAL INNOVATION CLUSTERS AND THEIR IMPACT ON ECONOMIC GROWTH

This research uses social network analysis to develop models of regional innovation clusters using data from patent applications and other sources. These new models are more detailed than current industry cluster models, and they reveal actual and potential relationships among firms that industry cluster models cannot. The network models can identify specific clusters of firms with high potential for manufacturing job growth where business retention and expansion efforts may be targeted. They can also identify dense clusters of talent where innovation and entrepreneurial efforts may be targeted. Finally, this research measures relationships between network structure at the time of patent application and manufacturing job growth in subsequent years. This will permit the translation of a wide range of network-building activities into the ubiquitous "jobs created" metric. These new tools will help economic developers focus resources on high-yield activities, and measure the results of networking activities more effectively. There are three parts to this research. First, it evaluates the uses of social network analysis (SNA) in planning, reviewing the literature and empirical research where SNA has been used in planning related studies. Second, it presents the construction if innovation network models, covering methodology, data, results and direct applications of the network models themselves. Models are constructed for Pennsylvania between 1990 and 2007. The methodology presents a significant innovation in how networks and geography are modeled, embedding counties in the network as place nodes. The resulting network models more accurately reflect the complex and multiple relationships that firms and inventors have with each other and the locations where they interact. This approach makes it possible to evaluate relationships between innovation and economic growth at a smaller geographic level (counties) than previous research. Third, this research presents an econometric model that evaluates the influence of network structure on county-level manufacturing employment and value added. Network structure is measured in the year of patent application, with manufacturing employment and value added being measured annually for each subsequent year. Differences in network structure generally reflect differences in the level of social capital embedded in different parts of the network. I find that network structure influences manufacturing employment within three years (longer for medical devices and pharmaceuticals) but does not influence value added

From buildings to cities: techniques for the multi-scale analysis of urban form and function

The built environment is a significant factor in many urban processes, yet direct measures of built form are seldom used in geographical studies. Representation and analysis of urban form and function could provide new insights and improve the evidence base for research. So far progress has been slow due to limited data availability, computational demands, and a lack of methods to integrate built environment data with aggregate geographical analysis. Spatial data and computational improvements are overcoming some of these problems, but there remains a need for techniques to process and aggregate urban form data. Here we develop a Built Environment Model of urban function and dwelling type classifications for Greater London, based on detailed topographic and address-based data (sourced from Ordnance Survey MasterMap). The multi-scale approach allows the Built Environment Model to be viewed at fine-scales for local planning contexts, and at city-wide scales for aggregate geographical analysis, allowing an improved understanding of urban processes. This flexibility is illustrated in the two examples, that of urban function and residential type analysis, where both local-scale urban clustering and city-wide trends in density and agglomeration are shown. While we demonstrate the multi-scale Built Environment Model to be a viable approach, a number of accuracy issues are identified, including the limitations of 2D data, inaccuracies in commercial function data and problems with temporal attribution. These limitations currently restrict the more advanced applications of the Built Environment Model

An Intelligent Method for Industrial Location Selection: Application to Markazi Province, Iran

Decision-making and selection are important and sensitive aspects of planning. An important part of land-use planning is the location of human activities. Locating activities in the right places determines the future space of a region. Selection and definition of natural and human indices and criteria for location always face uncertainty. Thus, this study aimed to develop an intelligent method for industrial location. In this study a developmental-applied approach was used along with a descriptive-analytical method for data analysis. Through the review of related literature and a Delphi survey, 18 criteria were extracted and 6 main components were categorized. The data were analyzed and modeled by GIS, MATLAB software, and the Fuzzy Inference System (FIS) and Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS) methods. For each modeling three industrial domains were extracted, i.e. weak, medium, and premium. A total of 42,968 hectares of premium industrial location with a score higher than 0.7 resulted from combining the produced maps. Other important findings were related to the architecture and methodology applied in the research based on computational intelligence and knowledge-based systems to analyze and understand the processes that influence the score of locations. The novelty of this method lies in the use of high computing power and information evaluation based on artificial intelligence (AI), making it possible to analyze and understand the processes influencing industrial location.   Abstrak. Pengambilan keputusan dan seleksi adalah aspek-aspek penting dan sensitive dalam perencanaan. Bagian yang penting dalam sebuah perencaan penggunaan lahan adalah terkait lokasi kegiatan manusia. Alokasi kegiatan manusia pada tempat yang benar adalah penentu ruang masa depan dari suatu wilayah. Dalam hal seleksi dan definisi index, juga kriteria lokasi selalu menghadapi ketidakpastian. Sehingga, studi ini dilakukan untuk mengembangkan metode yang berguna dalam alokasi industri. Pada artikel ini, digunakan pendekatan terapan-terkembangkan dengan metode analisis deskriptif dalam hal analisis data. Berdasarkan tinjauan pada literatur terkait dan survey Delphi, 18 kritersia diekstraksi yang dikategorikan pada 6 komponen utama. Data dianalisis dan dimodelkan menggunakan GIS, MATLAB, Fuzzy Inference System (FIS), dan metode Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS). Untuk setiap model, tiga domain industry ditentukan, yakni: lemah, moderat, dan premium. Terdapat lokasi industry premium dengan total 42,968 ha dengan nilai lebih dari 0.7. Hasil penting lainnya berkaitan dengan arsitektur dan metode terapan dalam penelitian yang berdasar kepada ilmu komputasi untuk memahami proses yang memengaruhi nilai untuk suatu lokasi. Kebaruan dari metode ini ada pada penggunaan model komputasi tinggi dan evaluasi informasi berdasarkan kecerdasan buatan (AI) yang memungkinkan untuk melakukan analisis dan memahami proses yang memengaruhi lokasi industri.   Kata kunci. Fuzzy Inference System (FIS), Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS), Artificial Neural Network (ANN), lokasi industri, Provinsi Markazi

Does artificial intelligence promote industrial upgrading? Evidence from China

Based on the panel data of 285 cities in China from 2000 to 2019, this paper searches the number of patent applications related to urban artificial intelligence from five dimensions: algorithm, data, computing power, application scenario and related technology. Combining the two perspectives of industrial upgrading and rationalization, we analyze the internal influence theory of the research topic from the theoretical and empirical perspectives. The results show that artificial intelligence is not only conducive to industrial upgrading, but also significantly inhibit the deviation of industrial structure from equilibrium, which is conducive to industrial rationalization. In addition, the conclusion of this paper is still valid after a series of robustness tests, such as eliminating the samples of central cities, winsorize treatment and instrumental variables method. Through the heterogeneity test, it is found that the promoting effect of artificial intelligence on industrial upgrading is more obvious in big cities and cities with high level of industrial upgrading. The internal mechanism test results show that artificial intelligence promotes industrial upgrading by promoting technological innovation. In cities with a high degree of marketization and Internet development, the role of artificial intelligence in promoting industrial upgrading can be strengthened. The research conclusions of this paper will be conducive to accelerating the development of artificial intelligence to promote industrial upgrading, and provide a useful reference for realizing high-quality development

The Greater Dublin Area: Ireland\u27s Potential City-State of the Early 21st. Century

Dublin’s superior population and employment growth, its scale size and unique urban agglomerative momentum will result in it emerging as Ireland’s ‘city state’ by mid-tolate 21st century. The hypothesis states that by then, the GDA is expected to be approaching half of the State’s population. The pivotal research question addressed is: can the GDA long-term differential population growth to that of the RoS area result in a 50% convergence of their respective populations and if so, when might this occur? The thesis develops the Hughes Years Matrix of Convergence ‘HYMOC’1 mathematical model, which represents this author’s spreadsheet matrix time indicator in years, to such convergence. This includes varying population parameters of differential exponential compound annual growth rates, from scenarios of demographic-specific start-points: ones which can accommodate select assumptions as to the GDA and RoS population sizes. From published CSO 2006 census data on town size, specifically it is the evidence of an emerging Dublin’s urban plateau, one that is swelling the growth of Ireland’s largest residentially-dominated towns. In combination with the capital’s emerging polycentric super-suburbs, together, they are creating an urban base that is unmatched in scale anywhere else in the State. Should this long-term demographic trend continue, it is likely that the GDA will consolidate its current signs of developing as Ireland’s citystate. That analogy, together with the range of mainly demographic tables, case studies and supporting data, are drawn together by way of synthesis, conclusions and recommendations for consideration by strategy planners and policy-makers. The thesis concludes that in the absence of a political will to recognise cities or to provide Statewide city-focused governance mechanisms, Dublin will continue to develop as a highly monocentric settlement – particularly for employment, and its imperious, primate growth de facto, will emerge as Ireland’s city-state of the 21st century

The ceramic industrial district: identification and innovation in the province of Castelló

Treball Final de Grau en Economia. Codi: EC1049. Curs acadèmic: 2018-2019This work studies the Ceramic Industrial District in the province of Castelló. Main theoretical concepts which characterize industrial districts are given, as the socioeconomic view, agglomeration, “industrial atmosphere”, “district effect” and its strategic implications. The work is focused on the main features of the Ceramic Industrial District, activities forming the sector, data and how it has evolved since the last crisis in 2007 and, finally, innovations in the district, how important they are and the main innovation in last years in the ceramic industry, InkJet technology

Peri-Urban Pressures: The Interplay of Land Strategies and Urbanization in Algeria’s Oran Metropolis

In contemporary times, the worldwide trend of urban expansion has become an inexorable force. This article engages in a comprehensive examination of the intricate dynamics surrounding urban sprawl and land utilization within the peri-urban regions of significant Algerian municipalities, with a specific focus on the city of Oran. Employing a methodology rooted in social geography, this study deploys a trio of investigative approaches: documentary analysis, spatio-temporal scrutiny of peri-urban domains, and in-situ field investigations to shed light on the intricate intricacies of land ownership dynamics in the context of urban sprawl. The swift development of the Oran metropolis, along with its manifold ramifications, underscores a profound disconnection between the aspirations of political stakeholders and the unfolding urban milieu. This article accentuates the pivotal role of land as a coveted resource profoundly influencing the contours of emerging urban regions. In response to these emerging challenges, Algeria must adopt integrated land and urban planning strategies that foster harmonious and sustainable urban development. This necessitates a comprehensive vision for metropolitan regions, a departure from sectoral planning that subordinates agriculture to industrial and urban considerations, and the formulation of efficient and coordinated urban planning instruments. Within this intricate nexus of urban and rural development, the urban sprawl's encroachment upon rural landscapes mandates a strategic approach to attain equilibrium and coherence within the urban fabric

A nonlinear, data-driven, ANNs-based approach to culture-led development policies in rural areas: The case of Gjakove and Pee districts, Western Kosovo

We develop a computational approach to the analysis of cultural vibrancy and to the role of the cultural and cre-ative sectors in the socio-economic organization of two districts of Western Kosovo, Gjakove and Pee. Our anal-ysis is built on a geolocalized mapping of the cultural activities and facilities, and on the main socio-economic variables for the two districts, and makes use of innovative data analysis techniques: Theory of Impossible Words (TIW), the Topological Weighted Centroid (TWC), and the AutoCM ANN. We find that the dynamics of cul-tural vibrancy of the territory is mainly driven by the competing attraction pulls of the nearby countries of Serbia and Albania, that also form the region's main and often conflicting ethnicities, and that such dynamics are likely to further polarize in the future. We also find that the cultural system plays a marginal role in the territory's socio-economic organization. This situation makes a case for a more active role of cultural policy in shaping future local developmental models in rural areas and in acting as an agent of social cohesion.(c) 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Business Cluster and Entrepreneurship Growth in Nigeria: A Systematic Review.

The research in business clusters (BC) system of entrepreneurship development has increased in the recent year.  A plethora of research has explored; entrepreneurship and urban growth, the entrepreneurial attitudes on the structure of support for entrepreneurship in an ecosystem, the effect of business clusters on firm performance and more recently, the dimension of agglomeration, institution and environment on business clusters.  With the aid of Systematic Qualitative Assessment Techniques (SQAT), we review 79 business cluster journal articles published over the last 11 years (2010 – 2020) that sought to provide BC antecedent and impact on entrepreneurship and economy growth to provide a point for future research. Also, the review provides the geographic distribution, time distribution, underlying drivers of previous research, types and method of data collection used by these BC articles. Our findings shed light on the key themes including the evolution of BC, the impact of BC on the economy, application of BCs and the public policy maker roles. Furthermore, there is a dearth of BC research in Africa, South America and Australasia with most BC research are empirical and this represents gaps for future researchers to explore