In the report “Regional trajectories to the knowledge economy – Nordic-European comparisons” the main results of the REKENE project are presented.
The main objective of the REKENE project as well as the mother project EURODITE has been to investigate how knowledge is generated, developed and transferred within and among firms or organisations and their regional contexts in order to gain a better understanding of how policies may be developed and used to facilitate knowledge dynamics. Furthermore, a specific aim of the REKENE project has been to deliver a policy toolkit regarding knowledge dynamics and innovation.
In the REKENE project, we have investigated knowledge dynamics in seven regions in Denmark, Finland, Iceland and Sweden. We have been able to compare our results with those from the 22 regions studied within the EURODITE project.
The main findings regarding knowledge dynamics can be summarised in three key points. Firstly, cross-sectoral knowledge interactions drawing on different disciplines and fields of expertise are innovative and drive product development. Secondly, knowledge interactions are multiscalar; they include highly relevant extra-regional knowledge interactions. Multiscalar interactions are supported by policy instruments, ranging from cluster organisations to support for organising and participation in various events. Finally, knowledge dynamics include many types of actors conducting a variety of knowledge interactions.
The REKENE toolkit consists of two types of interrelated items, tasks and tools, which are necessary to master in order to harness knowledge dynamics.
