Research:
Innovation Systems
| Governing Transformative Innovation |
| Objective |
| Theory
and evidence suggests that competing, innovative firms, and their related
industries, will tend to concentrate in a few locations. Most innovation
involves a significant amount of learning-by-doing, which works to create
barriers to imitators as they are only able to use the technological innovation
after they have gone through a learning process, which creates significant
barriers to entry. Furthermore, there is a cumulative impact of learning
by doing, which creates stronger competition in more innovative firms
and sectors and erects barriers to less innovative actors. At the same
time, there is significant potential for applied science (know-how) to
spill-over to others in the sector. Whereas basic science and inventions
are usually codified through scientific journals and patents and can often
be transferred at low or no marginal cost, know how and experience is
very difficult to transfer long distances. Some estimate that the benefits
of spillovers of tacit knowledge can be limited to between 10 and 100
miles of the epicenter. This pattern is frequently seen in the innovation
corridors of Silicon Valley, Boston’s Route 128, Austin, Cambridge,
Bangalore and Saskatoon.
Grossman and Helpman (1991) argue that technological spillovers that are limited to a specific location (e.g. due to climate, industrial structure) create the possibility that “comparative advantage is endogenously generated” because as “countries engage in technological competition, comparative advantage evolves over time.” If technological spillovers are geographically concentrated, initial and sequentially established conditions matter. Grossman and Helpman (1991) argue that, as a result, the high-technology share of GDP and exports will be greater than otherwise. In the extreme, a country that inherits even a small technological lead could come to dominate world markets for high-technology products. A productivity differential then becomes self-sustaining. The advent of biotechnology has changed the nature of the discussion about research and development in the agricultural and medical fields. Whereas research in the past tended to be distributed widely, based on the agronomic and human health needs, now we are seeing agglomerations forming around research, development and commercialization of globally mandated technologies and products. This rise in the potential for agglomeration is viewed by governments as either an opportunity to invest to generate comparative advantage or a threat of a loss of competitive status and access to new technologies. This research
project examines the nature of innovation and its systems properties. |
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2007 Gaisford, J., W. Kerr, P. Phillips and C. Ryan. 2007. High-tech Clustering in Canada. In Industrial Economics and Industrial Performance in Canada: Theme IV: Canadian Firms Investing in Innovation, Industry Canada. Download pdf Phillips, P. and C. Ryan. 2007. The role of clusters in driving innovation. Chapter 3.1.1 in Krattinger, A., Mahoney, R. Nelson, L., Thomson, J., Satyanarayana, K., Bennett, A., and Fernandez, C. (eds) The Handbook of best practices for management of intellectual property in health and agriculture. MIHR, 281-294. Download pdf Smyth, S., P. Phillips and C. Ryan. 2007. Economic Assessment of the Activities and Investments of Ag-West Biotechn Inc. Study prepared for Ag-West Bio, May. Download pdf Phillips, P. 2007. The Innovation Imperative. KIS Web Discussion Forum. Download pdf 2005 Phillips, P., C. Ryan, J. Karwandy, T. Procyshyn and J. Parchewski. 2005. Quantitative Cluster Analysis: from theory to practice. In Global Networks and Local Linkages: the paradox of cluster development in an open economy. McGill-Queen's University Press for the School of Policy Studies, Queen's University, pp. 57-82. Download pdf 2004 Phillips,
P.W.B. et al. 2004. Agricultural
and Life-science Clusters in Canada: An empirical and policy analysis Ryan, Camille D. Working Paper: Clusters and Complexity: towards a new epistemology for knowledge management and innovation in the Saskatoon agricultural biotechnology cluster Download pdf 2003 Procyshyn, Tara and Camille D. Ryan (2003). "Hard Measures and Soft Issues: a potential model for incorporating metrics into cluster based analysis." Presentation for the 4th Annual Innovation Systems Research Network Conference. Ottawa, Ontario. May 1 & 2. Ryan, Camille D. and Peter W.B. Phillips (2003). "Intellectual property management in clusters: A framework for analysis." "Clusters Old and New -- The Transition to a Knowledge Economy in Canada's Regions", Kingston and Montreal: McGill-Queen's University Press for the School of Policy Studies, Queen's University. 2002 Langford, C., J. Wood and P. Phillips. 2002. Global Science in Western Canadian Clusters: Wireless, Global Positioning, and Agricultural Biotechnology. Conference on Triple Helix and Regional Innovation Clusters, Oslo, Norway. Download pdf Phillips, P. 2002. "New Models of Development." Canadian Society of Microbiologists Conference, June 16. Download powerpoint Phillips, P. 2002. Regional Systems of Innovation as a Modern R&D Entrepot: The Case of the Saskatoon Biotechnology Cluster. In J. Chrisman et al. (eds.), Innovation, Entrepreneurship, Family Business and Economic Development: A Western Canadian Perspective. University of Calgary Press. Download pdf Phillips, P. 2002. RESEARCH: The new reality in Agriculture. American Agricultural Economics Association presentation, May 2. Download powerpoint Ryan, C. and P. Phillips. 2002 : Industrial Innovation and Regional Competitiveness in the Agricultural Biotechnology Sector: A Comparative Analysis of Innovation Structures in North America, Europe and Australia". Proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Chain Management in Agribusiness and Food Industry, May. Download pdf Ryan,
Camille D. and Peter W.B. Phillips (forthcoming). "Intellectual Langford, C., J. Wood and P. Phillips. 2002. Global Science in Western Canadian Clusters: Wireless, Global Positioning and Agricultural Biotechnology. Conference on Triple Helix and Regional innovation Clusters, Oslo, Norway, November. Download pdf C. Ryan and P. Phillips. 2002. Industrial innovation and regional competitiveness in the agricultural biotechnology sector: A comparative analysis of innovation structures in North America, Europe and Australia. 5th International conference on Chain and Network management in Agribusiness and the Food Industry, Poster Session. June 5-7, Noordwijk, The Netherlands. Download pdf 2001 Phillips, P. 2001. "Innovative Communities: An alternative model for examination." National Policy Research Conference, Ottawa. December 6. Download powerpoint Peter W.B. Phillips & G.G. Khachatourians. 2001. The Biotechnology Revolution in Global Agriculture: Invention, Innovation and Investment in the Canola Sector. CABI Publishing 1999 Peter W.B. Phillips, Stuart Smyth and C. McCormick. 1999. "REVISED: An Economic Assessment of the Activities and Investments of Ag-West Biotech Inc. and ICAST, 1989-99" (Study prepared for Ag-West Biotech, August). Download pdf 1998 Peter W.B. Phillips "Provincial Competitiveness in a knowledge-based world: the Saskatchewan case" Canadian Business Economics, Summer 1998. 1997 Peter W.B. Phillips. 1997. "The geography of the Saskatchewan macro-economy," Van Vliet Research Report #3, September 1997 (republished in the Atlas of Saskatchewan in 1999). Download pdf Peter W.B. Phillips. 1997. "Knowledge-based agri-food development: and alternative theory of agri-food development." Van Vliet Research Report #1, University of Saskatchewan, June. Download pdf |
| Studies |
2006-2010:
Investigator and co-applicant, SSHRC Major Collaborative Research Initiative
for the Innovation Systems Research Network II (Link) |