European Commission "INNOVATION IN REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROCESSES A (short) plea for considering...

European Commission

"INNOVATION“ IN REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROCESSES

A (short) plea for considering culture, history and socio-oeconomic conditions as important factors (for innovation)

in regional development processes (!)

Mag. Christian Husak, gfa Ltd - L+ NNU Austria

Christian Husak

Austrian LEADER+ NNU Regional development consultant Projectmanagement and Projectdevelopment Lecturer in National Economics,

Projectmanagement, Marketing and International Marketing at University of applied sciences Graz Karl Franzens University Graz

Christian Husak

„Innovation“

Natural & cultural Resources

What roles do natural and

cultural resources play in the

context of innovation in

regional development ?

Content:

- (short) theoretical background

- (positive) examples

- summary

- discussion

(theoretical) Background ...

… common agreement that …

… development and innovation takes place in

the context of regional behaviour … (see LEADER,

see UN commission for culture and development …)

different regions face different (basic) conditions

for regional development and innovation [ … mostly

depending on

geographical place (situation) – e. g.: mountainous areas, flatlands,

(cross)border areas …

regions history and culture …

regions society (societal structure) …]

Kockel (2002) …

Adam Smith, credited as founder of modern economics, still

maintained “a strong sense of the cultural matrix of economic

phenomena”. Unfortunately successive generations of economists

have progressively lost interest in this matrix. … If we study the

relationship between culture and economy, we need to go beyond

the one-dimensional view of society and think of economics as a

societal science, with values, history, institutions and socio-cultural

realities forming an integral part of its explanatory framework …

(Ullrich Kockel; Regional Culture and Economic Development; Hampshire 2002)

(theoretical) Background ...

RRC (as theoretic background) ...

Resource Reliance Continuum (RRC)

Natural resources Cultural resources

Creation essentially independent of human agency (e. g. plants, animals, minerals, wind …)

Creation essentially dependent of human agency (e. g. industrial products, finance, infrastructure …)

continuum

The use of regional resources is a function of the purpose and methods of their use which are in turn a function of

institutional structures and ageny motivation.

In this context ...

Attempt to find an answer …

what kind of conditions encourage regional

development processes (to be successful) ...

what kind of conditions perhaps may act as

hindering factors for regional development processes

(and therefore for innovation ...)

positive examples ...

POSITIVE EXAMPLES ...

Werkraum Bregenzerwald ...

Woad in the Lauragais-area ...

http://www.digitalefolien.de/cdrom2.htm


Region´s horizon is west and north (Vienna and the “iron border”

was far away …)

“limited space” of the area forced people to work abroad

Bregenzerwald is seen as an “area of energy” (Landscape,

fresh air, social structure, commitment to tradition …) “homeland”

“Today´s enterpreneurs are yesterday´s children” (as

children they built their own toys father´s working-room …)

“regional” situation …


Industrial mass production was the expression of a new

lifestyle (today´s entrepreneurs inherited their companies in the 80´s

and 90´s …)

Customers faced new styles (e. g. IKEA …)

The only one chance to be able to compete was to focus

on own strengths (knowledge was inherited from generation to

generation, new technology supported in applying this knowledge – how

to deal with new customer demands (“style-plurality”) was a so far

totally unknown challenge …)

economic situation …


1991 establishing design competition

“handcraft & form”

1999 – formation of the association

“Werkraum Bregenzerwald” …

in a “Lernwerkstatt” apprentices are being trained in

old handicraft-technics and how to use nowadays

Internet-Homepage www.werkraum.at

what happened …


some impressions …

washing dish …

Quick port …

cylindric stove …

(plate made)


Strong commitment to their homeland (last but not least)

because of strong socio-cultural structures ( people came

back and adopted abroad learned technics …)

These strong socio-cultural structures establishes a strong

feeling of togetherness (although SMEs are in competition …)

Nevertheless people remained open-minded (… last but not

least because of the force to earn abroad …)

Open-mindness resulted in the conviction that cooperation

is of mutual benefit

lessons learned …


Conclusion …

An innovative climate (…) is the result of

strong socio-cultural structures “feeling of

togetherness”

– even in the case of competition (common understanding of

tradition, heritage, importance of quality …)

open-minded people (as a result of having the force to work abroad)

– resulting in a trans-sectoral cooperation

existing “one´s own responsibility” (not to wait until someone

[e. g. state government, EC …] might help …)

Lauragais – Woad (Isatis Tinctoria) ...

Lauragais …

Woad …

… 2years plant

growing in

Europe

cultivated since

ancient times

used to fabricate

indigo-blue colour

the more you wash woad -

coloured clothes the more

intensive is the blue colour

In 16th century cultivation of “Färberwaid” founded the

wealth of the Lauragais Region ( today´s importance of

Toulouse as well as its architectural heritage is based on trade and

business with this plant)

Because of chemical dyestuff and Indigo from the “New

World” “Färberwaid” fall more and more into oblivion

Today “Färberwaid” is being rediscovered because of its

clear blue colour, its naturalness and its resistance

“regional” situation …


Toulouse is the region´s main center (capital town of the

region Midi-Pyrénées, 770 T inhabitants, airbus industry …)

In the surrounding area are a lot of SMEs in industry and

trade as well as agricultural companies

These SMEs partly are not able to do RTD-work –

therefore they are supported by CATAR

So far there is no cooperation between

different branches and companies

economic situation …


Creation of an economic value-added-chain - starting

with basic research activities (how to cultivate and best reaping

the plant) till finding new markets for Woad as dyestuff (e.

g. Waid as colour in the automotive or aircraft - industry)

Establishing an intra-regional network amongst different

branches and companies

With that initiating different kinds of cooperation

what happens …


economic vallue added chain

Lauragais –Woad (Isatis Tinctoria) ...

Basic research – e. g. how to cultivate the plant ...

CAPA = agriculturalcooperative society;

Grow the plant, harvesting & producingPigment

Plo = dyeing factory

producing woad coloured yearn

Textile Montagne (tailoring)

producing blue coloured dresses, suits, working clothes ...

Bleu de LectoureCosmetics ...

http://www.capa09.com/pages/commun/sommaire.php4





The Lauragais area has a long lasting tradition in

cultivating woad (the area is also known as “Pays de cocagne” –

cockaigne – “Schlaraffenland”)

remembering former prosperity was a kind of a starting-

signal for common cooperative activities (participants see woad

as their natural heritage …)

a common perspective for success initiated by visionary

people brought the process to work

lessons learned …


Conclusion …

An innovative climate (…) is the result of

awareness of one´s own tradition (knowledge about old technics,

about product advantages …)

visionary people who have not been hindered in

implementing their ideas (support from different “regional-thinking”

people …)

strong belief that the best support is by “just doing it” …

(this enabled the commitment to cooperation …)


what we have seen so far …

Of (prior) importance for innovation in regional development

processes are the combination of

- socio-cultural structures who establish a

feeling of “togetherness” as well as the

awareness of one´s tradition (-al heritage)

- open minded people (visionary people) not

be hindered from politicians …

- diversified economic structure

- belief that “best support is supporting

yourself”

SUMMARY ...

Turn this into an opposite side …

Factors most probably hindering innovative processes …

lack of incentives (or lack of boldness) to start

“traditional based” projects (e. g. because of too much large scale

companies employing huge portions of people …)

mentality “we need support” from … (especially

in areas with former state owned industries – “industrial” museums,

tourist events based on old industry-activities … are hardly sustainable …)

hindering visionary people (visionary people are important for

innovation – they have to be supported and not be hindered …)

HINDERING FACTORS ...

Lack of incentives …

too much large scale companies employing huge portions

of

people (most of the regional workforce are employed …)

too much public founded money (…)

companies acting as “extended workbench” (“verlängerte

Werkbank” – main decisions are done outside the region)

“monoculture” in the economic landscape (e. g. too less

industry, too less handcraft …)


“wrong” mentality …

too much public support (in most cases politically justified)

projects mainly done by communities (innovation cannot be

“ordered” – the need of innovation has to emerge and recognized. This

happens on a larger scale in companies …)

wrong understanding of “innovation” (especially in the

tourism context – innovation is the combination of different packages and

not an isolated application)


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