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Entrepreneurial Origin and the Configuration of Innovation in Rural Areas: The Case of Cumbria, North West England

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  • Christos Kalantaridis

    (Enterprise and Innovation Lab, Bradford University School of Management, Bradford BD9 4JL, England)

  • Zografia Bika

    (Norwich Business School, University of East Anglia (UEA), Norwich NR4 7TJ, England)

Abstract

This paper examines the incidence of innovation and the configuration of innovation systems in rural areas, which are viewed as possessing weak knowledge-generating subsystems. Drawing on the results of a microlevel study in rural Cumbria, North West England, the paper shows that entrepreneurs were able to access nonlocal knowledge infrastructure. Thus, the emergent actor-constructed regional innovation system stretched well beyond the confines of Cumbria. This configuration can be explained, in large part, by considering entrepreneurial origin. New arrivals (especially immigrants) demonstrated the greatest propensity to innovate, using innovation systems which cut across the regional and national boundaries. Locally born and returnee entrepreneurs demonstrated a low incidence of innovation. The paper concludes that a distinction between regional innovation systems (as macrolevel analytical units with a normative dimension) and actor-constructed regional innovation systems (as microlevel descriptive units) offers scope for the advancement of research in this field of study.

Suggested Citation

  • Christos Kalantaridis & Zografia Bika, 2011. "Entrepreneurial Origin and the Configuration of Innovation in Rural Areas: The Case of Cumbria, North West England," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 43(4), pages 866-884, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:envira:v:43:y:2011:i:4:p:866-884
    DOI: 10.1068/a43341
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    References listed on IDEAS

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