Innovation networks and green restructuring: Which path development can EU Framework Programmes stimulate in Norway?

ABSTRACT

With combined insights from evolutionary economic geography and transition studies, the article examines the engagement of different regions in Norway in the innovation networks created within the European Union’s environmental programmes. The aim is to explore the programmes’ potential for supporting green economy and economic restructuring through branching and new path creation. The authors assess which regions participate in the programmes, which international networks they build, and which organisations participate in different regions. They compare three regions with different restructuring needs and research capacity – the counties of Rogaland, Hordaland, and Sør-Trøndelag (now part of the county of Trøndelag). They find that overall, Norwegian organisations participate relatively frequently in the programmes, but private firms play a marginal role. Their partners are mainly in core EU regions. Regional participation in the programmes is a function of research capacity as well as oil dependence. The authors conclude that in research-oriented regions, research establishments tend to dominate participation, creating potential for restructuring mainly through path creation. In oil-dependent regions, private firms account for a higher share of participants, enhancing the potential for branching. As the former regions participate more, the programme can mainly stimulate path creation.

EDITORS:

• Markus Steen, Kerstin Potthoff, Catriona Turner

KEYWORDS:

• economic restructuring
• evolutionary economic geography
• green economy
• innovation networks
• transition studies

ORCID

Giuseppe Calignano http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6885-768X

Rune Dahl Fitjar http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5333-2701

Notes

1 See the Research Council of Norway’s website for further details: https://www.forskningsradet.no/prosjektbanken/#/Sprak = en (accessed December 2018).

2 The following three programmes were included in the analysis: Sustainable Development, Global Change and Ecosystems (FP6-SUSTDEV), FP7 (FP7-ENVIRONMENT and FP7-ENERGY) and H2020 Environment and Energy (H2020-ENVIRONMENT and H2020-ENERGY). These programmes address similar topics, such as renewable energy and environmental technology, reflecting continuity in EU environmental policy.

3 Vest-Agder and Aust-Agder are considered as one region in this analysis, because data on regional research capacity is only available for these counties jointly.