Emerging regional innovation policies for industry 4.0: analyzing the digital innovation hub program in European regions
ISSN: 1059-5422
Article publication date: 19 June 2020
Issue publication date: 17 January 2021
Abstract
Purpose
Industry 4.0 or digitization, from a regional innovation system (RIS) and policy perspective to improve regional innovation, is over-looked. Specifically, this paper aims to focus on analyzing the nascent European Commission (EC) digital innovation hub (DIH) program, designed for fostering transition into Industry 4.0 in regions and facilitating new path development.
Design/methodology/approach
Empirically, 10 Spanish DIH is explored through interviews and secondary data analysis.
Findings
The results suggest that DIHs despite their emerging and trial-and-error stage are designed for promoting multi-actor collaborative platforms including non-local actors to stimulate transition into Industry 4.0 by promoting place-based collaboration alliances that respond to local/regional contextual specificities and demands. These regional-based platforms facilitate public-private partnerships that co-design policy initiatives resulting from co-participation and negotiation of spatially-bounded oriented initiatives for digitizing.
Originality/value
The authors answer: what are the key characteristics of emerging European-level regional innovation policies aimed at facilitating Industry 4.0 in regions? This is the first study on the topic.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades, RTI2018-095739-B-100 and Consolidables (GVA) AICO/2020/123.
Citation
Hervas-Oliver, J.-L., Gonzalez-Alcaide, G., Rojas-Alvarado, R. and Monto-Mompo, S. (2021), "Emerging regional innovation policies for industry 4.0: analyzing the digital innovation hub program in European regions", Competitiveness Review, Vol. 31 No. 1, pp. 106-129. https://doi.org/10.1108/CR-12-2019-0159
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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