Exploiting Science: An In-depth Study of a Regional Collaborative Development Strategy

Abstract

This paper explores how a new knowledge base centred on an emerging technology in a declining industrial city can spill over into the surrounding environment. Using a qualitative approach, it presents an in-depth case study of a Swedish urban region in order to explore who the actors are, how they have collaborated in the process, and what the outcomes have been. It discusses the impact of a regional collaborative strategy and bottom-up processes. It found a distinct difference between supportive and operative actors in relation to the creation of economic output, which has theoretical and policy implications. It concludes by categorising different bottom-up commercialisation processes.