The Geography of Innovation

This study offers a geographic dimension to the study of innovation and product commercialization and develops a conceptual model which links the location of production innovations to the sources of these knowledge inputs. The geographic concentration of this knowledge forms a technological infrastructure which promotes information transfers, and lowers the risks and the costs of engaging in innovative activity. Empirical estimation confirms that the location of production innovation is related to the underlying technological infrastructure and that the location of the knowledge inputs are mutually-reinforcing in defining a region's competitive advantage. The book concludes by considering the policy implications of these findings for both private firms and state governments. This work is intended for academics, policy practitioners and students in the fields of innovation and technological change, geography and regional science, and economic development.