Overcoming the Failure of ‘Silicon Somewheres’: Collective Learning in Innovation Networks

Abstract

Increased pressure to use policy transfer as a tool has led policy-makers to seek it as a solution for innovation efforts. A prominent example is Silicon Valley, whose replication attempts have been widely criticised. Based on 'Silicon Somewhere' cases in Asia, Europe and the US, the research suggests that there are different types of learning contributing to the success or failure of policy transfer. These variations in the learning processes underlying the transfer include imitation, trialand-error and adaptive learning.The politics and administration of institutional chang