The emergence of novel science-related fields: regional or technological patterns? Exploration and exploitation in United Kingdom nanotechnology

Abstract

An extensive literature addresses the emergence of new technologies in their geographical and cognitive context. The notion of innovation systems has been most prominent in these discussions. Drawing on a spatial innovation systems approach, the paper explores this issue for a newly emerging area, nano-science and nanotechnology. More specifically, this study draws on a multi-method approach to explore the emergence of nanotechnology in the UK, covering bibliometric, patent and firm-level data. Our results point to regional concentrations of scientific and technological activity as well as a concentration of nanotechnology firms in the well-established ‘science hubs’. However, further inspection of the evidence hints also at the importance of non-local collaborative links and networks along technological paths.