0000000000470562
AUTHOR
Aase Marthe Johansen Horrigmo
Piloting Regional Innovation or Much Ado about Nothing?—Evaluating the R&D Policy Initiative of Nordland, Norway
AbstractThis article evaluates the results of almost a decade of experience with regional R&D development and implementation for enhanced innovation in the county of Nordland, Norway. Following a 2002 national devolution initiative, the county of Nordland was the first among Norwegian counties to coin and implement a distinct R&D policy for business-related innovation and development. This was done by setting up a broad regional partnership, framing a regional strategy and by coordinating substantial budgetary resources to implement the strategy. The evaluation describes the results of this process as ambiguous. This article looks at the process from three perspectives. First, we look at th…
Why Study the Spread of Culture-led Development Strategies?
Culture, entertainment and amenities as urban and regional development policies have received much attention over the last decade. In the wake of recent work on the creative class, culture-led development policies have been applied in cities and regions across the Western world. This article uses quantitative data to examine whether these policies have gained the support of Scandinavian local and regional politicians and, if so, why and how. Drawing on policy diffusion and policy transfer theory, the article examines from where politicians are influenced. Can the sources of influence be characterized as (1) horizontal, (2) top-down or (3) bottom-up? The main finding is that the top-down per…
Can Culture Explain Culture?
This article argues that cultural explanations can help explain local policy choices. Drawing on the New Political Culture theory, the article combines three models of cultural change to explain the level of spending on cultural policies in Norwegian municipalities. In total, 430 municipalities are studied, and the results show that cultural change variables improve the understanding of local policy choices. The finding here indicates that some elements of the New Political Culture, like women’s participation, seem to be able to travel without losing their content. However, to fully be able to comprehend the level of cultural change in the Nordic context, better measures are needed.