Regional configurations of innovative dynamics and socio-economic performances of French regions (In French)

The paper attempts to characterize the configurations of innovation dynamics within the French regions, using the methodological approach in terms of social systems of innovation and production developed by Amable, Barré and Boyer. The statistical analysis of a broad whole of data makes it possible to highlight the various regional profiles in the Science-Technology-Industry interactions, in training and education, and in economic and social performances during the 90s. The analysis underlines the close link between these regional performances and their scientific and technological competences, as well as the advantages of industrial, scientific and technological diversification / of specialization on dynamic sectors.France, innovation, regional growth, regional system of innovation

Knowledge and the diversity of innovation systems: a comparative analysis of European regions

The main goal of this paper is to shed some light on European regional diversity in terms of knowledge accumulation and socio-economic performances. Dynamic links between knowledge, innovation and performance are complex to address because they take place in different contexts, involving heterogeneous agents interacting through different institutions. Studies on national systems of innovation (Edquist, 1997) stressed the role of the institutional context in these dynamics and identify various configurations associated with these national systems. This conceptual framework, used at the regional level, leads to the identification of regional systems of innovation (Cooke, 2001) and thus underlines the limits of a regional scoreboard only based on high-tech indicators as it is usually proposed. This paper constitutes a first attempt to propose a more exhaustive effort in characterizing the diversity of "regional knowledge an innovation systems" within Europe. The study is performed through data analysis using the conceptual framework of "social systems of innovation and production" (SSIP) proposed by Amable, Barré and Boyer (1997). A Social System of Innovation and Production can be defined as a coherent combination of different components referring to Science-technology-industry (STI) configurations articulated with financial system, labour relations, education and training and economic performances. This framework can be adapted at the regional level by identifying specific arrangements of each part of the system even if the concept of system is questionable at this level. The analysis is performed combining data from three sources (Eurostat, the Cambridge Econometrics database and OST (Observatoire des Sciences et des Techniques)) over a sample of NUTS-II european regions and using multivariate data analysis (principal component analysis, hierarchical anova). Putting together the SSIP and local economic performances allows defining different regional configurations in order to identify regional trajectories and patterns of articulation between knowledge dynamics and performance. Our hypothesis is that regional growth in not a problem of best practice but of coherent knowledge combination: institutional differences may lead similar (or different) STI structures to different (respectively same) performances.NARegional Innovation systems, Knowledge economy, Institutional diversity, European regions, Regional economic performances

Diversity of capitalism and Central and Eastern European Countries. A statistical analysis. (In French)

Realised within the framework of the ESEMK project supported by the EU (FP6, Priority 7, Contract CIT-CT-2004-506077), the present study proposes a statistical analysis of the variety of the European socio-economic models integrating Central and Eastern European Countries (CEEC) using Bruno Amable’s approach of the diversity of capitalism. The analysis relies on the theoretical design of institutional complementarities whose coherence defines the character of model of capitalism. The aim of this methodological study is to test the stability of Amable’s results when new countries are introduced (Hungary, Poland, Czech Republic, Turkey and one emerging country, Mexico, in order to diversify our sample), and to position the CEEC with respect to the European models already identified. Although the typology of the five capitalisms seems finally well resist to the introduction of new countries, it is however necessary to note some more dubious configurations on the side of European continental and Mediterranean models. Concerning the new introduced countries, the three Central European countries differs from the whole of the other models whereas Turkey is close to the Mediterranean model.variety of capitalism, institutional complementarities, Central and Eastern European Countries (CEEC)