The National Approach to Innovation in English Regions

The starting point for discussion of regional innovation in the UK can be from two angles: innovation as a component of regional policy, and innovation in regions as a component of national innovation policy. As discussed in the Introduction, there has been a general convergence of interest between these two policy domains in OECD countries, and the UK is no exception. In both cases, the issue is to what extent innovation can help achieve the principal objectives of these two policy streams. The supplementary question is to decide the role of the national and regional actors in a way that is efficient and provides relevant supports and services for firms, the main target of public policy in this field.