Innovation far from Major Growth Centres: Policy and practice to support economic development in Europe’s northern periphery

Innovation in the periphery is critical to the growth and prosperity of regions and nations. However, the periphery is too often ignored in discussions about economic development and innovation. Where it is discussed, there seems to be a belief that those theoretical perspectives developed in core leading regions also apply to peripheral areas. This implies that peripheral regions are merely an extension of the core. Yet, we already know that peripheral regions are different, diverse, and even problematic in terms of their economic outcomes.

This raised the question: how appropriate are theoretical perspectives developed in core regions when applied to the study, policy and practice of innovation in the periphery? This question was answered by this project, which proposes two case studies of peripheral regions in the far north of Europe. It will make a significant contribution to rebalancing the discourse around regional innovation and establish the periphery as a crucial element in our overall conception of economic development.

Ultimately it helps us make better innovation policy in the periphery, ensuring the sustainable development of these regions.