Regional Innovation

Overview | Publications | Contact

Did you know?

• About 10% of regions account for over half of R&D in the OECD area.
• The top 10% of OECD regions generate on average about 280 patents per million inhabitants, while 40% produce fewer than 20.
• In OECD regions, innovation policy portfolios include traditional supply side, demand side and networking instruments, as well as experimental measures.

Areas of OECD work

Innovation is the main and increasing source of growth in OECD countries. In the definition of new growth models centred on social and environmental sustainability, regions are key actors in shaping virtuous innovation trajectories and in mobilizing untapped potential for national growth. Two OECD meetings at Ministerial level have recently reaffirmed the importance of effective policy to promote innovation, including the role of regions.  An international policy dialogue is needed for governments to share good practices.

Not every OECD region can be the next Silicon Valley, but all regions can improve their capacity to adapt knowledge for their region’s innovation needs. OECD work in this area is designed to help policy makers in different fields (regional development, science and technology, enterprise, and economy) and at both national and regional levels.

The OECD Regional Database OECD eXplorer allows for international comparisons of innovation indicators at the regional level. 

Overview of OECD work on regional innovation.

The series OECD Reviews of Regional Innovation includes:

• Thematic publications that offer data and best practices on different aspects of innovation-related policies that have a regional dimension or are commonly supported by regions. Current and upcoming themes include: 
  
  • Regional innovation strategies
  • Emerging innovation policy tools in regions
  • Multi-level governance of innovation policy
  • Knowledge networks and markets for innovation generation/diffusion
  • Cross-border innovation support
  • Green clusters and regional innovation

Policy dialogue with groups of regions is another opportunity for regions to participate in OECD thematic work.

• Peer reviews provide analytic assessment and policy advice:
  
  
  • For regions, reviews examine the strength of the regional innovation system, the appropriateness of the policy mix for the region’s needs, and the strategic use of the region’s resources given global, national, regional and local factors.
  • For countries, reviews assess the extent to which policies from different policy streams (e.g., regional development, science and technology, enterprise policy and higher education policy) are effective in building regional innovation systems and clusters for the range of region types in the country.
    

Publications

You can consult the full list of publications on regional innovation at our publications page.

Contact

For more information please contact:
Karen.Maguire@oecd.org, Claire.Nauwelaers@oecd.org, or Annalisa.primi@oecd.org.

Permanent URL: www.oecd.org/gov/regional/innovation