'Classic' Representations about Innovation Diffusion

Abstract

In this introductory chapter, firstly, we recall the basic concepts of the theory of innovation diffusion and knowledge flows. We provide an overview of the existing literature on research issues, which presents our ideas and significant research results, refracted into known facts. Secondly, we analyze the existing ideas in different branches of science about innovation diffusion in order to determine the possibility of using these ideas for econometric modeling of the relationship between knowledge flows and regional growth. Thirdly, we will focus on the discussion of systemically important and most pressing issues related to the theory of knowledge transfer, innovation diffusion and regional growth. The following sources were analyzed to identify trends: Publications in leading peer-reviewed scientific magazines indexed in Scopus and Web of Science databases; Publication in professional publications; the strategic and analytical documents prepared by the international organizations, the companies, authorities, large scientific and analytical centers; statistical and forecast data of international organizations - World Intellectual Property Organization, Statistical Service of the European Union, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. In addition, according to the key words describing the main segments of the innovation economy, a bibliometric analysis of scientific publications indexed in the Scopus and Web of Science databases was conducted. In order to solve various economic problems, the theoretical models of interrelation between regional growth and innovation activities and, in particular, the theory of diffusion of innovations and knowledge flows describing this or that process are widely used. The study of "knowledge flows" has become one of the most important areas of research in modern economic literature. The term "knowledge flow" in the Google World Wide Web in 0.31 seconds gives 2,660,000 links in English, 189,000 in Russian. This is not just a new theory, but a practice - a large-scale global action, which involves millions of specialists.