Technology Policy at the Crossroads of Economic Policy and Physical Planning

Technology policy must be considered as a tailor-made endeavour towards the creation of specific innovative activities in specific sectors and at specific locations. It therefore cannot be implemented only from the national level but must be aimed at mobilizing also the self-organizing potential at regional and local levels. Technological change and regional structures turn out to be closely interrelated. For this theme issue contributions have been invited on general aspects of technology policy (Zegveld), on its regional implications (Malecki and Nijkamp), and on the relevance of sectoral policies and entrepreneurial strategies on the spatial diffusion of innovations (Dyckman and Swyngedouw). In further papers, three spatial types of technology policy are represented: A spatially deconcentrated major technology project in the form of the French technology city Sophia-Antipolis (Perrin), a decentralized three-tier national technology policy in Japan (Kawashima and Stöhr), and a federal setting of technology policy in the case of the USA (Premus). In drawing conclusions from the papers in this theme issue, its editors discuss the question of how technology policy and regional policy can join to help create a broad entrepreneurial and innovative climate at the local scale.