REGIONAL INNOVATION AS PART OF REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT AGENDA IN TURKEY: THE ROLE OF DEVELOPMENT AGENCIES

This paper examines the issue of regional innovativeness, by focusing on the innovative capacity of regional plans developed by 26 regional development agencies in Turkey. The purpose is to determine the degree to which these plans can be effective in defining the future innovation agenda of their respective region in various dimensions, and in finding solutions to societal needs. Adopting a qualitative research method, data collected from the regional plans of these 26 regional development agencies are subjected to content analysis. Findings demonstrate that the concept of innovation is indeed embraced in regional plans. Activities that aim to enhance the innovative capability of regions appear frequently within strategies.