abstract

Research in economic geography has recently been challenged to adopt more institutional and multiscalar perspectives on industrial path development. This article contributes to this debate by integrating insights from (evolutionary) economic geography as well as transition and innovation studies into a conceptual framework of how path creation in emerging industries depends on the availability of both knowledge and legitimacy. Unlike the extant literature, we argue here that not only the former but also the latter may substantially depend on nonlocal sources. Conceptually, we distinguish between multiscalar export, attraction, and absorption of legitimacy. Coupled with conventional knowledge indicators, this approach enables us to reconstruct how not only external knowledge sourcing but also multiscalar institutional dynamics contribute to a region or country’s ability to leverage its potential for path creation in an emerging industry. Methodologically, we develop legitimation indicators from a global media database, which was built around the case of modular water technologies. Cross-comparing the evidence from six key countries (India, Israel, Singapore, South Africa, the UK, the US) with differing path creation constellations for this emerging industry, allows us to hypothesize how multiscalar legitimation influences a country’s prospects for creating a radically new industrial path.

摘要

经济地理学研究最近受到挑战，以采用更多的机构和多尺度的观点来探讨产业发展路径。本文通过将（进化的）经济地理学以及转型与创新研究的见解整合到一个概念框架中，为这场辩论做出了贡献，该框架描述了新兴产业中路径创造如何取决于知识和合法性的可获得性。与现有文献不同，我们在这里认为不仅前者而且后者可能都很大程度上依赖于非本地资源。从概念上讲，我们区分合法性的多标量导出，吸引和吸收。结合常规知识指标，这种方法使我们能够重构外部知识的获取，以及多尺度的机构动态如何促进一个地区或国家利用其潜力在新兴产业中创造路径的能力。从方法上讲，我们从全球媒体数据库中开发合法性指标，该数据库是围绕模块化水技术的案例建立的。交叉比较来自六个关键国家（印度，以色列，新加坡，南非，英国，美国）的证据，这些新兴国家具有不同的路径创建构架，这使我们能够假设多标量合法化如何影响一国从根本上创造一个国家的前景。新的产业道路。我们从围绕模块化水技术案例构建的全球媒体数据库中开发合法性指标。交叉比较来自六个关键国家（印度，以色列，新加坡，南非，英国，美国）的证据，这些新兴国家具有不同的路径创建构架，这使我们能够假设多标量合法化如何影响一国从根本上创造一个国家的前景。新的产业道路。我们从围绕模块化水技术案例构建的全球媒体数据库中开发合法性指标。交叉比较来自六个关键国家（印度，以色列，新加坡，南非，英国，美国）的证据，这些新兴国家具有不同的路径创建构架，这使我们能够假设多标量合法化如何影响一国从根本上创造一个国家的前景。新的产业道路。