This report presents a perspective on the role of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) in the Norwegian economy, and on the future role of SME-oriented innovation policy. It overviews the general position of SMEs in the industrial structure, reviews their innovation performance, discusses...

Bakgrunnen for dette prosjektet er den økende betydning av kunnskap og kompetanse for utviklingen i næringslivet og framveksten av det ofte betegnes som ‘nye kunnskapsbaserte næringer’. Disse er blant annet kjennetegnet ved at en stor andel av de sysselsatte har et høyt kunnskapsnivå og...

Denne delrapporten skal belyse hvordan SNDs samlede aktivitet virker inn på måloppnåelsen av målformulering i § 1 b) i lov om SND, som består i å ’fremme tiltak som vil gi varig og lønnsom sysselsetting i distrikter med særlige sysselsettingsvansker eller svakt utbygd...

This report is a slightly revised version of a paper presented at the Symposium of the Commission of the Organisation of Industrial Space, the 28th International Geographical Congress, The Hague, The Netherlands, August 5-10, 1996. A shortened version of the report will be published in European...

This paper seeks to enhance our understanding of critical preconditions and factors that facilitate the rise and development of new industrial paths in peripheral regional economies. Current conceptualizations of regional path creation are largely based on experiences from core regions and fail...

Today, economic growth is widely understood to be conditioned by productivity increases which are, in turn, profoundly affected by innovation. This volume explores these key relationships between innovation and growth, bringing together experts from both fields to compile a unique Handbook.

The past two decades have witnessed an ever-growing scholarly interest in regional clusters. The focus of research has mainly been on why clusters exist and what characteristics “functioning” clusters hold. Although the interest in more dynamic views on clusters is not new, in recent years,...

The paper examines the reasons for the clustering of Norwegian software firms in Oslo. The analysis focuses on how software firms perform individual activities and how they interact with other players in performing the activities. The clustering of software firms in Oslo rests first of all on...

The paper describes and assesses three Norwegian innovation policy tools. The tools cover three different models of strengthening firms' innovation capability, i.e. direct financial support, broker and advisory systems and technology or knowledge centres. The tools include some new elements in...