Policy path dependency in a less developed region: The evolution of regional innovation policy in Wales (UK)
Article Sidebar
Main Article Content
Abstract
The paper examines the concept of path dependency in policies, and seeks to examine how different pathways emerge in policy and how these change over time. It does so with reference to a case study of regional innovation policy development in Wales (UK) over a period of more than thirty years. Building on recent developments in regional studies and economic geography the paper considers whether path dependency is an inevitable feature of the policy process at the regional level. Drawing on documentary analysis and interviews with policy makers, it finds that policy decisions taken early on in the path creation phase (to support technological innovation) endure despite attempts to broaden out the pathway to a more inclusive form of innovation policy in Wales. While path dependency, most evident in core technological and R&D policy instruments, hasn’t prevented path experimentation, the findings suggest that rigidity and renewal co-exist in policies and the policy process for regional innovation over time. The findings contribute towards the growing focus on the temporal dynamics of policy change at the regional level and the complexity of policy as it seeks to address the challenge of innovation in less developed regions.
Keywords:
Cited by
Article Details
References
Arthur, W. B. (1994). Increasing returns and path dependence in the economy. Ann Arbor, MI: Michigan University Press. DOI: https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.3998/mpub.10029
Baumgartner, F. R., & Jones, B. D. (1993). Agendas and instability in american politics. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press. CM International & The Innovation Partnership. (2014). Academic expertise for business programme: Final evaluation report.
Commission of the European Communities. (1982). Transfer and exploitation of scientific and technical information: Proceedings of the Symposium held by the Commission of the European Communities, DirectorateGeneral Information Market and Innovation, in Luxemburg, 10 to 12 June 1981. Luxembourg, Luxembourg: Commission of the European Communities, Directorate-General Information Market and Innovation. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-7367-1
Cooke, P. (2004). The regional innovation system in Wales: Evolution or eclipse? In P.N. Cooke, M. Heidenreich & H.-J. Braczyk (Eds.), Regional innovation systems: The role of governance in a globalized world. 2nd ed. London, England: Routledge. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203330234
Cooke, P., & Morgan, K. (2000). Wales and Baden-Württemberg. In E. Bort & N. Evans (Eds.), Networking Europe – Essays on regionalism and social democracy (pp. 53-67). Liverpool, England: Liverpool University Press.
David, P. A. (1985). Clio and the economics of QWERTY. American Economic Review, 75(2), 332-337. [Papers and Proceedings of the Ninety-Seventh Annual Meeting of the American Economic Association, May, 1985]. Retrieved from https://econ.ucsb.edu/~tedb/Courses/Ec100C/DavidQwerty.pdf
Deloitte Haskins & Sells. (1983). WINtech: An initiative for welsh industry. A summary of the findings and recommendations of a study of support for technological development in Wales. Boston, MA: Deloitte Haskins & Sells. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.33507
Department for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy. (2017). Community innovation survey collection. London, England: Department for Business Energy & Industrial Strategy.
Department for Innovation Universities and Skills. (2008). Persistence and change in UK innovation 2002-2006. London, England: Department for Innovation Universities and Skills.
Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment for Northern Ireland. (2006). UK Innovation Survey 2005: Northern Ireland results. Belfast, Northern Ireland: Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment for Northern Ireland.
DTI. (2007). Simplifying business support: An introductory document. London, England: DTI.
Flanagan, K., & Uyarra, E. (2016). Four dangers in innovation policy studies – And how to avoid them. Industry and Innovation, 23(2), 177-188. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/13662716.2016.1146126
Flanagan, K., Uyarra, E., & Laranja, M. (2011). Reconceptualising the ‘policy mix’ for innovation. Research Policy, 40(5), 702-713. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.respol.2011.02.005
Grabher, G. (1993). The embedded firm: On the socioeconomics of industrial networks. London, England: Routledge.
Hall, P. A. (1993). Policy paradigms, social learning, and the state: The case of economic policymaking in Britain. Comparative Politics, 25(3), 275-296. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/422246
Hassink, R. (2009). Applied evolutionary economics and economic geography. Heclo, H. (1972). Policy analysis. British Journal of Political Science, 2(1), 83-108.
Henderson, D. (2000). EU regional innovation strategies - Regional experimentalism in practice? European Urban and Regional Studies, 7(4), 347-358. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/096977640000700404
Henderson, D., & Thomas, M. (1999). Learning through strategy-making: The RTP in Wales. In K. Morgan & C. Nauwelaers (Eds.), Regional innovation strategies: The challenge for less-favoured regions (chapter 5). London, England: The Stationary Office. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203386200_chapter_5
Hudson, R. (2005). Rethinking change in old industrial regions: Reflecting on the experiences of North East England. Environment and Planning A, 37(4), 581-596. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1068/a36274
Huggins, R., & Pugh, R. (2015). Regional competitiveness and schumpeterian development. In J. M. Valdaliso & J. R. Wilson (Eds.), Smart strategies for shaping territorial competitiveness (Routledge Studies in Global Competition). New York, NY: Routledge. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315772462
Jones-Evans, D. (2007). Entrepreneurship action plan for Wales (EAP). In OECD (Ed.), Strengthening entrepreneurship in Marzahn Hellersdorf (pp. 64-67). Paris, France: OECD.
Jones-Evans, D., & Bristow, G. (March, 2010). Innovation and Objective 1 Programme in Wales: Lessons for the convergence fund. [Paper presented to the Enterprise and Learning Committee, National Assembly for Wales]. Cardiff, Wales.
Kay, A. (2005). A critique of the use of path dependency in policy studies. Public Administration, 83(3), 553-571. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.0033-3298.2005.00462.x
Kay, A. (2006). The dynamics of public policy: Theory and evidence. Edward Elgar.
Kay, A. (2008). Time, policy, management: Governing with the past by Christopher Pollit. Australian Journal of Public Administration, 67(4), 499-500. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8500.2008.00605_2.x
Martin, R. (2010). Roepke lecture in economic geography-rethinking regional path dependence: Beyond lock-in to evolution. Economic Geography, 86(1), 1-27. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1944-8287.2009.01056.x
Martin, R., & Sunley, P. (2006). Path dependence and regional economic evolution. Journal of Economic Geography, 6(4), 395-437. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/jeg/lbl012
Morgan, K. (1985). High technology small firms - Innovation and regional-development in Britain and the UnitedStates. International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, 9(2), 304-305.
Morgan, K. (1997). The learning region: Institutions, innovation and regional renewal. Regional Studies, 31(5), 491-503. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/00343409750132289
Morgan, K. (2013). Path dependence and the state: The politics of novelty in old industrial regions. In P. Cooke (Ed.), Re-framing regional development: Evolution innovation and transition (pp. 318-340). Abingdon, England: Routledge.
Morgan, K. (2016). Nurturing novelty: Regional innovation policy in the age of smart specialisation. Environment and Planning C: Government and Policy, 35(4), 569-583. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0263774X16645106
Morgan, K., & Henderson, D. (1997). The fallible servant: Evaluating the Welsh Development Agency. In R. MacDonald & H. Thomas (Eds.), Nationality and planning in Scotland and Wales (pp. 77-97). Cardiff, Wales: University of Wales Press.
Morgan, K., & Nauwelaers, C. (1999). Regional innovation strategies: The challenge for less favoured regions. London, England: Routledge. North, D. (1990). Institutions, institutional change and economic performance. Cambridge, England: University of Cambridge.
Office for National Statistics. (2016a). Business enterprise research and development time series dataset. Newport, Wales: Office for National Statistics.
Office for National Statistics. (2016b). Statistical Bulletin: Regional gross value added (income approach). Newport, Wales: Office for National Statistics.
Pierson, P. (2004). Politics in time: History, institutions, and social analysis. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
Pollitt, C. (2008). Time, policy, management: Governing with the past. Oxford, England: Oxford University Press.
Pugh, R. E. (2014). ‘Old wine in new bottles’? Smart specialisation in Wales. Regional Studies, Regional Science, 1(1), 152-157. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/21681376.2014.944209
Roe, E. (1994). Narrative policy analysis: Theory and practice. Durham, NC: Duke University Press.
Schneiberg, M. (2007). What's on the path? Path dependence, organizational diversity and the problem of institutional change in the US economy, 1900-1950. Socio-Economic Review, 5(1), 47-80. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/ser/mwl006
Strambach, S., & Halkier, H. (2013). Reconceptualising change. Path dependency, path plasticity and knowledge combination. Zeitschrift für Wirtschaftsgeographie, 57(1-2), 1-14. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/zfw.2013.0001
Streeck, W., & Thelen, K. (2005). Beyond continuity: Institutional change in advanced political economies. Oxford, England: Oxford University Press.
The Innovation Partnership & CM International. (2014). Final evaluation report for the Welsh Government Business Innovation Support Programme.
Thomas, M. (2013). Revenge of the supply-side. [Author manuscript].
Thomas, M., & Henderson, D. (2016). Regional innovation report: Wales (Advanced materials and nanotechnology). In Technopolis Group & Fraunhofer ISI (Eds.), Regional Innovation Monitor Plus 2016.
Valdaliso, J. M., Magro, E., Navarro, M., Aranguren, M. J., & Wilson, J. R. (2014). Path dependence in policies supporting smart specialisation strategies: Insights from the Basque case. European Journal of Innovation Management, 17(4), 390-408. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/ejim-12-2013-0136
WAG. (2002a). A winning Wales: The national economic development strategy of the Welsh Assembly Government. Cardiff, Wales: WAG.
WAG. (2002b). Wales for Innovation. Cardiff, Wales: WAG.
WDA. (1985). Corporate plan of the Welsh Development Agency 1984-1990. Cardiff, Wales: WDA.
WDA. (1987). WDA annual report, 1986-1987. Cardiff, Wales: WDA.
WDA. (1988). WDA annual report 1987-1988. Cardiff, Wales: WDA.
WDA. (1996a). Wales Regional technology plan: An innovation and technology strategy for Wales, action plan. Cardiff, Wales: WDA.
WDA. (1996b). Wales regional technology plan: An innovation and technology strategy for Wales, consultative report. Cardiff, Wales: WDA.
WDA. (1998). Wales regional technology plan: An innovation and technology strategy for Wales, review and update 1998. Cardiff, Wales: WDA.
Welsh Government. (2010). Delivering a digital Wales The Welsh Assembly Government’s outline framework for action. Cardiff, Wales: WG.
Welsh Government. (2012). Science for Wales: A strategic agenda for science and innovation. Cardiff, Wales: WG.