Substitution or Overlap? The Relations between Geographical and Non-spatial Proximity Dimensions in Collaborative Innovation Projects

Abstract

Hansen T. Substitution or overlap? The relations between geographical and non-spatial proximity dimensions in collaborative innovation projects, Regional Studies. Traditionally, economic geographers stress geographical proximity's positive impact on collaboration processes. However, effects of cognitive, organizational, social and institutional proximity dimensions have been emphasized recently. This paper examines the relations between geography and these non-spatial dimensions by distinguishing two mechanisms: the substitution mechanism, where non-spatial forms of proximity substitute for geographical proximity; and the overlap mechanism, where geographical proximity facilitates non-spatial proximity. The two mechanisms’ importance is analysed in collaborative innovation projects in the Danish cleantech industry. Regression models are complemented by a qualitative analysis of the relationship between the geographical and institutional dimensions.

Hansen T. 取代或重叠？协同创新计画中的地理与非空间邻近性面向之间的关联性，区域研究。传统而言，经济地理学者强调地理邻近性对协同过程的正面影响，但晚近则开始强调认知、组织、社会与制度的邻近性面向之影响。本文透过区辨以下两个机制，检视地理和这些非空间面向的关係：非空间形式的邻近性取代地理邻近性的 “取代机制”；以及地理邻近性促进非空间邻近性的 “重叠机制”。本研究将分析丹麦乾淨科技产业协同创新计画中，此二机制的重要性 。回归模型将透过对地理和制度面向的关联性进行质化分析加以补充之。

Hansen T. La substitution ou le chevauchement? Le rapport entre les dimensions de proximité géographiques et non-spatiales dans les projets d'innovation collaboratifs, Regional Studies. Traditonnellement, les géographes économiques soulignent l'impact positif de la proximité géographique sur les processus collaboratifs. Toujours est-il que, plus récemment, on a insisté sur les effets des dimensions de proximité cognitives, organisationnelles, sociales et institutionnelles. Ce présent article examine le rapport entre la géographie et ces dimensions non-spatiales en distinguant deux mécanismes: le mécanisme de substitution, où des formes de proximité non-spatiales remplacent la proximité géographique; et le mécanisme de chevauchement, où la proximité géographique permet la proximité non-spatiale. On analyse l'importance que l'on attache à ces deux mécanismes dans les projets d'innovation collaboratifs concernant l'industrie des technologies propres au Danemark. Des modèles de régression sont complétés par une analyse qualitative du rapport entre les dimensions géographiques et institutionnelles.

Hansen T. Substitution oder Überlappung? Die Beziehungen zwischen geografischen und nicht-räumlichen Dimensionen der Nähe in kooperativen Innovationsprojekten, Regional Studies. In der Wirtschaftsgeografie wird traditionell die positive Auswirkung von geografischer Nähe auf Prozesse der Zusammenarbeit betont. In letzter Zeit wurde jedoch auch auf die Effekte der kognitiven, organisationellen, sozialen und institutionellen Dimensionen der Nähe hingewiesen. In diesem Beitrag werden die Beziehungen zwischen der Geografie und diesen nicht-räumlichen Dimensionen untersucht, wobei zwischen zwei Mechanismen unterschieden wird: dem Substitutionsmechanismus, bei dem nicht-räumliche Formen der Nähe die geografische Nähe ersetzen, und dem Überlappungsmechanismus, bei dem die geografische Nähe eine nicht-räumliche Nähe ermöglicht. Die Bedeutung dieser beiden Mechanismen wird in Bezug auf kooperative Innovationsprojekte in der dänischen Cleantech-Branche untersucht. Die Regressionsmodelle werden durch eine qualitative Analyse der Beziehung zwischen den geografischen und institutionellen Dimensionen ergänzt.

Hansen T. ¿Sustitución o solapamiento? Las relaciones entre las dimensiones de proximidad geográfica y no espacial en proyectos innovadores de colaboración, Regional Studies. En la geografía económica se suele destacar el impacto positivo de la proximidad geográfica en los procesos de colaboración. Sin embargo, recientemente se han puesto de relieve los efectos de las dimensiones de proximidad cognitiva, organizativa, social e institucional. En este artículo se analizan las relaciones entre la geografía y estas dimensiones no espaciales al diferenciar dos mecanismos: el mecanismo de sustitución, donde se sustituyen las formas no espaciales de proximidad por la proximidad geográfica, y el mecanismo de solapamiento, donde la proximidad geográfica facilita la proximidad no espacial. Se estudia la importancia de los dos mecanismos en proyectos innovadores de colaboración en la industria danesa de tecnología limpia. Los modelos de regresión se complementan mediante un análisis cualitativo de la relación entre las dimensiones geográficas e institucionales.

• Proximity
• Cleantech
• Collaboration
• Knowledge linkages
• Innovation

• 邻近性
• 乾淨科技
• 协同
• 知识连结
• 创新

• Proximité
• Technologie propre
• Collaboration
• Synergies dans le domaine des connaissances
• Innovation

• Nähe
• Cleantech
• Zusammenarbeit
• Wissensverknüpfungen
• Innovation

• Proximidad
• Tecnología limpia
• Colaboración
• Vínculos de conocimiento
• Innovación

JEL classifications:

• L69
• O31
• R11

Acknowledgements

The author thanks the interviewees for their time. The paper was partly written during a stay as a visiting doctoral fellow at the Centre de Sociologie des Organisations, Sciences-Po Paris/CNRS, while preparing my doctoral thesis at the Department of Geography and Geology, University of Copenhagen. The author thanks two anonymous referees for valuable comments. The usual disclaimer applies.

Funding

This study was funded by the Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen. The author acknowledges additional financial support from the Swedish Research Council [Linnaeus grant number 349200680] and the Swedish Governmental Agency for Innovation Systems [grant agreement 2010-07370].

Notes

1. FORA is the Danish Enterprise and Construction Authority's division for research and analysis.

2. Numerous studies have dealt with subsections of the cleantech industry from wind energy (Garud and Karnøe, 2003) to fuel cells (Madsen and Andersen, 2010), but few studies analyse the cleantech industry as a whole.

3. The interview methodology made it possible only to include projects where all actors were actively involved, contrary to relations where pieces of information or knowledge are transmitted from one actor to another (see also Trippl et al., 2009).

4. The urban part is defined as the Greater Copenhagen Area and the three largest cities outside the capital, Aarhus, Odense and Aalborg.

5. Since the symbolic knowledge base is of limited importance for the majority of the firms in the cleantech industry it is left out of this analysis.

6. The odds ratio indicates the ratio of the odds of a particular answer compared with a reference group (with an odds ratio of 1), which in this paper is ‘partners located within the same region’ for the main independent variable, the geographical dimension. Thus, in this paper high odds ratios indicate high possibilities of being distant in terms of the dependent variable.

7. It may rely on other forms of localized benefits, e.g. access to a shared labour pool.

8. The safety factor is the relation between the strength of the component and the load on the component.

9. The author is indebted to a referee for pointing out this area of future research.