Cristina Chaminade
Professor
When regional meets global : exploring the nature of global innovation networks in the video game industry in Southern Sweden
Author
Summary, in English
For firms in symbolic (creative) industries, the region is usually seen as the main arena for knowledge sourcing and exchange. Why and how these firms use global innovation networks remains however poorly understood. This paper draws on in-depth interviews with firm representatives and network data collected through a survey of video game developers in southern Sweden. Video game development is a typical example of a symbolic industry, encompassing the development of non-tangible and symbol-intensive products and services. In recent years, this industry has advanced from a niche sector into a global mass market. Understanding how the hybrid character of the industry–with strong symbolic cultural roots but also a significant global engagement–affects the geography of innovation networks is the focus of this paper. The analysis reveals that knowledge sourcing and exchange take place likewise on the regional and global scale, but for different purposes and through different mechanisms. It also shows that not all variance in network engagement can be explained by differences in industrial knowledge bases or regional innovation systems. In contrast, the target market and the nature and geography of demand are important explanatory factors.
Department/s
- Department of Economic History
- CIRCLE
Publishing year
2021
Language
English
Pages
131-146
Publication/Series
Entrepreneurship and Regional Development
Volume
33
Issue
44198
Document type
Journal article
Publisher
Taylor & Francis
Topic
- Business Administration
Keywords
- Global innovation network
- regional innovation system
- Sweden
- symbolic industry
- video games
Status
Published
ISBN/ISSN/Other
- ISSN: 0898-5626