Key dilemmas of regional innovation policies

This article is a critical discussion of theoretical and policy issues related to regional development and innovation policy. It draws on the 'new regionalist' perspective to examine regions from a strategic perspective and, in particular, the role of knowledge and learning, competitiveness and institutional capacity-building. The article's main argument is that these present day uses of these concepts are based on assumptions that are often overstated, and that in some cases claims have been made that are not sufficiently grounded in empirical evidence.