Innovation, Dynamic Regions and Regional Dynamics

This paper analyses the aspects of spatial economics that deals with innovation, regional specialization and dynamic systems of functional regions and in particular the contributions made by the economist Börje Johansson. The innovation aspect consists of innovation networks, knowledge sources and knowledge sinks, cost and innovation of product characteristics and innovation at the industry and sector level. In the regional specialization part the infrastructure, regional economic milieus, the specialization of regions and specific the specialization in small and large regions, spatial transaction costs, and endogenous specialization are subjects that are being treated. Regional dynamics consists of location dynamics in a system of functional urban regions where different theories are being discussed as the spatial product life cycle theory and filtering-down theory. The last part does also take up lead-lag models.