The Regional Economics of Knowledge and Talent

Reviews / Votes

'As a collection of good papers by respectable authors in regional science, this book makes insightful reading.' -- Roel Rutten, Environment and Planning B 'Charlie Karlsson, Boerje Johansson and Roger R. Stough have collected a set of important articles on some of the most important factors determining the growth of contemporary regional economies. The focus of the book is on important growth determinants that are almost never mentioned in the standard analyses of economic growth. Entrepreneurship is discussed from theoretical as well as empirical points of view. The role of social capital as well as institutional governance are highlighted in chapters that ought to be read by all economists interested in the economic growth and development of regions.' -- Ake E. Andersson, Joenkoeping International Business School, Joenkoeping, Sweden 'This is an exceptional work that is the result of an outstanding selection of the best papers on agglomeration and innovation given at the 10th anniversary of the Udevalla conference. It is the finest set of conference papers I have seen in the past 25 years. These are artfully woven together into three primary areas. The first focuses on the role of knowledge and innovation in entrepreneurship, the second incorporates the institutional environment, while the third looks at the international context. I recommend this collection to academics, students and all who are interested in the role of creativity and innovation in entrepreneurial development. Not only are these the very best researchers in the field, but the materials are presented in a clear and concise manner, making it an outstanding base for advanced courses in this area. This work combines some of the best writings by top-notch authors sharing the sharpest insight into the complex area of the role of human capital in structuring agglomerative advantages. I take my hat off to the fine editorial work represented in this volume.' -- Kingsley E. Haynes, George Mason University, US 'The book provides a remarkable contribution on the role of human capital as major creator of knowledge, interpreted as abilities, capabilities, methods, creativity and persistency in identifying and solving problems by collecting, selecting, interpreting and applying existing knowledge and information. The laws of increasing returns to human capital - among which are urban agglomerations as magnets which attract persons who embody knowledge - are conceptually searched and empirically verified. The book answers questions such as: Why do highly educated people, i.e. the carriers of human capital, tend to concentrate in large agglomerations?; What are the agglomerative forces?; and How does this agglomeration of human capital impact different types of economic activities and in particular their location behaviour? Important normative implications are thus derived from such a collected effort.' -- Roberta Capello, Politecnico di Milano, Italy