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Knowledge‐complexes and the locus of technological change: the biotechnology sector in Oxfordshire
Author(s) -
Smith Helen Lawton,
Mihell David,
Kingham David
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
area
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.958
H-Index - 82
eISSN - 1475-4762
pISSN - 0004-0894
DOI - 10.1111/j.1475-4762.2000.tb00128.x
Subject(s) - localism , underpinning , position (finance) , economic geography , technological change , microbiology and biotechnology , regional science , business , political science , sociology , economics , biology , engineering , law , civil engineering , finance , politics , macroeconomics
Summary The case of the biotechnology industry in Oxfordshire is used to examine localism as a means of underpinning the technological trajectory of an industry (Storper 1992). Oxfordshire has a rapidly developing cluster of biotechnology firms. Its position as a focal point of technological change derives from the combination of world‐class scientific research in its research institutions and its firms, a scientific labour market and an emerging infrastructure, including a soft infrastructure: networks, culture and innovation centres, which together are shaping this particular development path.