Mapping Local Comparative Advantages In Innovation
The importance of ‘place’ to science, innovation and economic growth is increasingly recognised but under analysed and not yet fully understood. This report seeks to provide a consistent body of evidence of comparative innovation strengths in the 39 LEP areas to help LEPs and their partners to marshall their innovation assets to best effect using European Structural Funds and other funding streams.
It is hoped that the data it contains will also enable individual LEPs to identify where there is scope for joint working with other LEPs and also the Department for Business Innovation and Skills, other government departments and national agencies. It should also help the LEPs and their partners to play to their respective innovation strengths, situate them in a wider regional and national context and maximise comparative advantage.
That should in turn lead to less duplication and unproductive competition between institutions and regions.
The study entailed:
- A literature review
- Development of a framework and set of indicators
- Consultation with LEPs and relevant bodies about framework design and choice of indicators
- Populating the framework with publicly available quantitative and qualitative data
- Supplying a brief accompanying commentary
