Universität Wien

290111 SE Seminar in Human Geography: Geography of Innovation (2021S)

6.00 ECTS (3.00 SWS), SPL 29 - Geographie
Continuous assessment of course work
Moodle

Registration/Deregistration

Note: The time of your registration within the registration period has no effect on the allocation of places (no first come, first served).

Details

max. 20 participants
Language: German

Lecturers

Classes (iCal) - next class is marked with N

expected hybrid (partly digital / partly on-site)

  • Saturday 13.03. 10:00 - 14:00 Digital
  • Saturday 27.03. 13:00 - 18:00 Digital
  • Friday 07.05. 13:00 - 18:00 Digital
  • Saturday 08.05. 10:00 - 15:30 Digital
  • Friday 14.05. 13:00 - 18:00 Digital
  • Saturday 15.05. 10:00 - 15:30 Digital

Information

Aims, contents and method of the course

This course deals with the spatial aspects of increasingly innovation-driven economies and societies. Special attention will be given to grasp the evolving understanding of innovation and to assess its economic, ecological and social effects, to explain the uneven distribution of innovation activities in space, to capture the geography of knowledge flows and power relations as well as to understand the opportunities and limits of public policies to shape regional innovation capacities. Based on a review of the pertinent literature, the following questions will be discussed:

- Why do we need a new understanding of innovation and a reassessment of its effects on the economy and wider society?
- Why do different types of regions vary in their innovation capacities?
- How are innovation processes spatially configured?
- What are the implications for policy?

These questions will be answered based on a review of conceptual contributions and empirical analyses of European, North American and Asian regions.

The course is a literature seminar. The literature will be provided by the lecturer. However, the students are supposed to conduct own searches on their specific topics.

Assessment and permitted materials

- Seminar paper (50%)
- Presentation of the seminar paper (20%)
- Peer review, presence and contributions to the discussions in the classroom (15%)
- Final discussion paper (15%)

Minimum requirements and assessment criteria

Learning outcomes: On completion of the course the students shall be able to
- explain how the innovation capacity of regions is shaped by a variety of factors and their interplay;
- assess opportunities for and limits of policy to influence innovation processes;
- write and present a seminar paper

Examination topics

- Critical reflection on and discussion of conceptual and empirical contributions to the literature;
- Seminar paper
- Presentation of seminar paper
- Peer Review
- Final discussion paper

Reading list

Binz, C., Truffer, B., 2017. Global Innovation Systems—A conceptual framework for innovation dynamics in transnational contexts. Research Policy 64 (7), 1284-1298.
Coenen, L., Morgan, K., 2020. Evolving geographies of innovation: Existing paradigms, critiques and possible alternatives. Norsk Geografisk Tidsskrift-Norwegian Journal of Geography 74 (1), 13-24.
Tödtling, F. & M. Trippl (2018): Regional innovation policies for new path development – beyond neoliberal and traditional systemic views. In: European Planning Studies 26(9). S. 1779–1795.

Association in the course directory

(MG-S3-SE) (MG-S5-SE) (MG-W3-PI) (MG-W4-PI) (MA UF GW 02)

Last modified: Fr 12.05.2023 00:23