B5281 - Regional Development Geography and Territorial Analysis

Learning outcomes

The course aims to provide adequate tools for interpreting the characteristics of places and the spatial dynamics that contribute to determining different development paths in different geographical areas. At the end of the course, students will: a) have acquired the skills necessary for the analysis of a given territory; b) have developed solid skills in the study of the most modern approaches in the field of geography. This will enable them to understand and analyze complex spatial, relational and institutional dynamics that may (or may not) lead to new models of local and regional development.

Course contents

The course will cover topics of fundamental importance in the field of geographic studies, such as:

I) agglomeration economies;

II) policies, evolution and relational networks within industrial and technological clusters and districts;

III) the main theoretical approaches to regional development (evolutionary economic geography, regional innovation systems, etc.).

IV) the prerequisites, spatial composition, processes and actors that represent the foundational elements of change;

V) the different modes of innovation, their possible application and the obstacles faced by economic actors located in various geographical areas in their implementation;

VI) the creation of knowledge and the networks at various geographical scales through which it is disseminated;

VII) the different forms of proximity (geographical, cognitive, social, organizational, institutional) that lead to the exchange of such knowledge;

VIII) the place-based approach to regional policies and the most important measures taken by the European Union on research, innovation and spatial development;

IX) green economic restructuring and the so-called geography of the sustainability transition.

Readings/Bibliography

Texts to study for attending students:

Course book:

Asheim, B. T., Isaksen, A., & Trippl, M. (2019). Advanced introduction to regional innovation systems. Edward Elgar

Academic articles and book chapters:

Several readings (academic articles and book chapters) on specific topics will be offered during the course, enabling students to prepare for the presentation to be given in class and the written test (in this regard, see the section “Assessment Methods”).

 

Non-attending students must study all the texts listed above. In addition, non-attending students must study the texts listed below:

Course book:

Asheim, B. T., Isaksen, A., & Trippl, M. (2019). Advanced introduction to regional innovation systems. Edward Elgar

Academic articles and book chapters:

Bathelt, H., Malmberg, A., Maskell, P. (2004). Clusters and knowledge: local buzz, global pipelines and the process of knowledge creation. Progress in Human Geography, 28(1), 31-56. https://doi.org/10.1191/0309132504ph469oa

Boschma, R. (2005). Proximity and Innovation: A Critical Assessment. Regional Studies, 39(1), 61–74. https://doi.org/10.1080/0034340052000320887

Boschma, R., Frenken, K. (2018) 'Evolutionary Economic Geography', in Gordon L. Clark, and others (eds), The New Oxford Handbook of Economic Geography, Oxford Handbooks (Oxford Academic, 5 Feb. 2018), https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780198755609.013.11

Calignano, G., Nilsen, T. (2024). Political leaders as agents in regional development. Regional Studies, Regional Science, 11(1), 479–495. https://doi.org/10.1080/21681376.2024.2378780

Calignano, G. (2022). Not all peripheries are the same: The importance of relative regional innovativeness in transnational innovation networks, Growth and Change, 53(1), 276-312

Calignano, G., Nilsen, T. Regional development is not a dinner party: a research agenda on power relations and the use of language in regional development studies. GeoJournal 89, 74 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10708-024-11075-w

Chesbrough, H.W. (2003), The Era of Open Innovation, MIT Sloan Management, Review 44(3): 35-41. https://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/the-era-of-open-innovation/

Eadson, W., van Veelen, B. (2023). Green and just regional path development. Regional Studies, Regional Science, 10(1), 218–233. https://doi.org/10.1080/21681376.2023.2174043

Feldman, M.P., Kogler, D.F. Chapter 8 - Stylized Facts in the Geography of Innovation, Editor(s): Bronwyn H. Hall, Nathan Rosenberg, Handbook of the Economics of Innovation, North-Holland, Volume 1, 2010, Pages 381-410, ISSN 2210-8807, ISBN 9780444519955, https://doi.org/10.1016/S0169-7218(10)01008-7

Fitjar, R.D., and Rodríguez-Pose, A. (2013). Firm collaboration and modes of innovation in Norway, Research Policy, 42(1), 128-138. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.respol.2012.05.009 .

Foray, D., Eichler, M., Keller, M. Smart specialization strategies—insights gained from a unique European policy experiment on innovation and industrial policy design. Review of Evolutionary Political Economy 2, 83–103 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s43253-020-00026-z

Garud, R., Karnøe, P. (2003) Bricolage versus breakthrough: distributed and embedded agency in technology entrepreneurship, Research Policy, 32(2), 277-300. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0048-7333(02)00100-2

Grillitsch, M., & Sotarauta, M. (2020). Trinity of change agency, regional development paths and opportunity spaces. Progress in Human Geography, 44(4), 704-723. https://doi.org/10.1177/0309132519853870

Hansen, T., Coenen, L. (2015) The geography of sustainability transitions: Review, synthesis and reflections on an emergent research field, Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions, 17: 92-109. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eist.2014.11.001

Groot, H.L., Poot, J., Smit, M.J. (2016) Which Agglomeration Externalities Matter Most and Why? Journal of Economic Surveys, 30(4): 756-782. https://doi.org/10.1111/joes.12112

Mazzuccato, M. (2018) Mission-Oriented Innovation Policy. Challenges and opportunities. Industrial and Corporate Change, Volume 27, Issue 5, October 2018, Pages 803–815, https://doi.org/10.1093/icc/dty034

Tödtling, F., Trippl, M. (2005), One size fits all?: Towards a differentiated regional innovation policy approach, Research Policy, 34(8): 1203-1219. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.respol.2005.01.018

Teaching methods

Lectures; in-class presentations followed by discussion; writing a paper in academic style.

Assessment methods

Attending students (in-class presentation and discussion; written test):

Attending students must prepare a presentation to be given in class that includes a critical discussion of one of the topics covered in the course or an illustration of a case study. In either case, the topic will be agreed with the lecturer. At the same time, attending students will be expected to discuss another student's presentation. The manner of presentation and discussion will be explained in detail during the first class.

The written examination will consist of a paper. The topic of the paper will be the same as the in-class presentation and will therefore consist of a critical discussion of one of the topics covered in the course or an illustration of a case study. The length of the paper will be approximately 4,000 words and must be written in academic style. If the number of attending students permits, in-class laboratory activities will be planned with the aim of deepening the subject and monitoring the progress of each student in preparation for the submission of the final paper, which will be assessed.

For students who have attended at least 80% of the scheduled classes, the final grade will be based on the following parameters

• 30% determined by the quality of the presentation, critical analysis of the chosen topic or case study treated, as well as the quality of the discussion of the paper presented by another student;
• 70% determined by the quality of the written paper in academic style.

 

Non-attending students (oral examination):

Oral examination through which overall preparation on the topics covered in the course will be assessed. The texts to be studied are indicated in the “Readings/Bibliography” section.

 

REFUSAL OF THE GRADE: The student who passes the exam can refuse the grade only once. This principle is in accordance with the provisions of the University Teaching Regulations, art. 16, co. 5, modified by the resolution of the Academic Senate approved by the Board of Directors in February 2018: "in the event of a positive outcome, the student can ask to refuse the grade. The refusal must be granted by the professor at least once for each individual course". After a refusal, any positive outcome will be recorded.

Candidates can only use the grade obtained in the last attempt to pass the exam.

Furthermore, with regard to the evaluation method:

- Attending students who refuse the grade will submit a new paper that must deal with a completely different topic from the one presented in class and originally agreed with the teacher for the drafting of the first paper. Furthermore, in the event of a new attempt, attending students will have to work independently, but will be able to avail themselves of the support of the teacher in defining the research question and in the development of the paper. The new paper will contribute 70% of the final grade, while the presentation given in class will continue to contribute the remaining 30%.

- Non-attending students who refuse the grade will take a new oral exam.

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Final grade:

• Minimum analytical skills → 18-19;
• Good analytical skills → 20-24;
• Very good analytical skills → 25-29;
• Excellent analytical skills → 30-30L

Teaching tools

Computer and projector.

Office hours

See the website of Giuseppe Calignano