Regional technology initiatives: Some insights from the English regions

The paper presents findings from recent research on the policy rob and expe rience of a numbs of Regional Technology Initiatives (RTIs) aimed at suppor ting innovation and technology transfer, particularly in small- and medium- sized enterprises (SMEs) in the English regions. The findings are discussed in relation to recent theoretical debates around innovation processes with in SME; regional innovation systems and learning/actor networks. A Primary concern is to understand the factors shaping the evolution of such initiati ves and the lessons to be learnt from the experience to date. In this respe ct discussion focuses on four key issues: the funding driven nature of most of the initiatives; the move away from simply making new technology more a ccessible to a more client-need centred approach; the structural and cultur al obstacles to improved links between academia and SMEs and how some of th ese can be ameliorated and the issue of strategic integration between busin ess support agencies within a region to support longer term economic develo pment agendas. The paper concludes that the long-term viability of the Rns will be dependent on their continuing capacity to anticipate and respond to an evolving and to some extent uncertain, regional policy context.