Academic literature has examined how change in a regional system of innovation involves interactions between various actors that participate in regional economic development. This thesis examines similar processes, but also explores the ways in which various factors characterize change in regional systems of innovation. Without making assumptions about the political nature of the interactions among actors and the contexts surrounding them, the thesis advances the idea of a non-economic approach to the processes of regional development and industrial policy. In this thesis, a strategic relational perspective to regional systems of innovation comprises the conceptual framework that provides an in-depth explanation of the analysis of experiences. The single case study is employed for the operationalization of the strategic-relational perspective in the context of Gyeonggi province, South Korea, as a highly industrialized region in a post catching-up economy. The fieldwork is based on the collection and analysis of interviews and participant observation. The interpretation of empirical evidence through the strategic relational perspective reveals tension in the governance context, which has not met the interests of regional policy makers concerning regional development and industrial policy in Gyeonggi province. Thus, the thesis portrays the parts played by the provincial government in the innovation system affecting innovative capacity and performance, and identifies the political tensions that emerged and that seemed to be important in these processes
