The InnoRegio-program: a new way to promote regional innovation networks - empirical results of the complementary research -

4. Selected results and empirical findings

The basis for the complementary research poses the following questions:

♦ Has InnoRegio led to the formation of a network of regional protagonists that is
permanent viable?

♦ Has networking led to the formation of new, efficient innovation systems, or has it
strengthened existing systems?

♦ What effects are changes in the innovative ability of the network participants having on
value creation, competitiveness and employment in the region as a whole?

Actually results of the InnoRegio-program in terms of innovations or impact on
competitiveness and employment are not existing, because only a few projects will terminate
in 2001. But referring to chapter 3 (theoretical basis) we examined so called success-factors
of innovation networks, that can be considered as pre-conditions of innovation and
competitiveness. For this reason in presenting results of our studies, the first step will be to
describe the 23 networks’ structures and overall levels of development. In particular, we will
examine:

• objectives and focal points of activity

• composition of networks according to the number and participants’ spheres of
responsibility

• extent of cooperation actually achieved

• participants’ assessment of the structures of participation, the organization and the inner
cohesion

The presentation of these results should not and cannot attempt to offer a detailed
description of particular networks. Rather, our objective is to outline indicators of the most
important influences on network processes. The data base is compiled of information both
from a written survey of all 23 InnoRegio networks conducted in summer 2001, eliciting
responses from around 600 of the 1,400 InnoRegio participants, as well as from nearly 200
personal interviews conducted thereafter with individuals from this group.

The second step will deal with the state of project implementation. As an indicator, we have
taken the number of confirmations of support received, derived from the answers to
questionnaires and data received from the organization funding the projects.

The third step will seek to answer the question whether the state of network development
have had an influence on the level of project approval, and if so, how. Only the 19 networks
that qualified at the outset can be used as a basis for determining this, because at the time of
the survey they were the only ones in a position to have submitted project proposals.

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