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The subsidiarity principle: Turning challenge-oriented innovation policy on its head

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  • Iris Wanzenböck
  • Koen Frenken

Abstract

While innovation policy started as national policy, we witness a proliferation both at the sub-national and the supra-national level. This begs the question about subsidiarity: what policies should be organized at sub-national, national and supra-national levels? We argue that innovation policies aimed to solve societal challenges such as climate change or ageing - currently central in EU policies - are better organized at sub-national levels given the contested nature of problem identification and the contextual nature of problem-solving. Regional innovation policy, then, should formulate concrete societal goals relevant to the local community and tailored to the local context.

Suggested Citation

  • Iris Wanzenböck & Koen Frenken, 2018. "The subsidiarity principle: Turning challenge-oriented innovation policy on its head," Papers in Evolutionary Economic Geography (PEEG) 1806, Utrecht University, Department of Human Geography and Spatial Planning, Group Economic Geography, revised Jan 2018.
    • Handle: RePEc:egu:wpaper:1806
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    File URL: http://econ.geo.uu.nl/peeg/peeg1806.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    2. Muringani, Jonathan & Dahl Fitjar, Rune & Rodríguez-Pose, Andrés, 2019. "Decentralisation, quality of government and economic growth in the regions of the EU," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 91023, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    3. Grashof, Nils, 2020. "Putting the watering can away Towards a targeted (problem-oriented) cluster policy framework," Papers in Innovation Studies 2020/4, Lund University, CIRCLE - Centre for Innovation Research.
    4. Grashof, Nils, 2021. "Putting the watering can away –Towards a targeted (problem-oriented) cluster policy framework," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 50(9).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    innovation policy; societal challenges; subsidiarity; regional policy; multi-level governance;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • B52 - Schools of Economic Thought and Methodology - - Current Heterodox Approaches - - - Historical; Institutional; Evolutionary; Modern Monetary Theory;
    • D78 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Positive Analysis of Policy Formulation and Implementation
    • O38 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Government Policy
    • R5 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Regional Government Analysis

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