Enterprises, innovation and territory in high-tech sectors: the case of Italy

Abstract

In the prevalent analytical approaches, innovative activities are conceived as systems of interaction involving a plurality of actors, economic and non, and where the geographical dimension plays a major role. But if, on one hand, the link between territory and innovation is generally recognized, on the other the specific relationship with enterprises is less clear. To address this topic, the article presents the results of research carried out on high-tech and medium-high tech innovation systems and enterprises in Italy. The goal is twofold: 1) to bring out inductively - that is starting from a micro-level analysis - the relevance of the territory in the development of innovation in high-tech sectors; 2) to highlight the distinctive characteristics of innovative enterprises and the links with their territories.

Keywords:
Innovation and territory; Geography of innovation; High-tech enterprises; Local systems of innovation; Italy