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Resumen del trabajo presentado a la 9th Regional Innovation Policies Conference celebrada en Stavanger (Noruega) del 16 al 17 de octubre de 2014., This study provides analytical evidence on the pathways of industrial specialization that fostered the wind energy sector in Spanish regions. We carry out a qualitative comparison of the different configurations based on the observation of key technological, economic and institutional factors with a view to identify whether and how different regional contexts facilitate or not an emerging sector. This exercise illustrates the contingent nature of policy, and the diversity of routes that have been used to promote smart specialization around what many consider an ultimately mature technology. Spain is a relevant case in point considering that in a relatively short span it has become a world leader both in terms of both energy and specialized technology production. We argue that this trajectory would not look so triumphal had it not been for the pivotal role of regional actors such as utilities, technology manufactures, research centres and local government in facilitating the creation and the mobilization of specific forms of know/how. Accordingly, we identify the multilevel interactions between public and private sectors that unleashed the latent potential of this sector. More than this, we contrast three archetypal regions (Castilla y Leon, Galicia and Basque country) to disentangle the commonalities and the specificities of the attendant policy mix. The empirical study is based on the triangulation of information from case study research which is further complemented by network analysis, longitudinal analysis of specialization and variety indexes as well as content analysis of documents and interviews.

The European Community (EC) has proactively promoted the development of renewable energy for over 20 years by means of standards and regulation designed to align incentives and opportunities. These actions have spurred a variety of responses and modes of implementation with distinctively local characters among member states. The diffusion of wind energy in Spain is a good case in point to illustrate how coordinated multi-level environmental policy can successfully promote the emergence of new sectors. Building on a wide platform of supranational and national directives, Spanish regional governments have designed and implemented development strategies based on the mobilization of locally available assets. This has resulted in differential growth of industrial, research and policy capacities across regions, and a rich spectrum of development trajectories that leverage on and feed back into regional-specific tangible and intangible assets. This chapter outlines the intertwining of technological, industrial and institutional developments that allowed Spain to become an active pole of innovation and growth in the wind energy sector.

Distribuido bajo licencia Creative Commons de Reconocimiento-NoComercial 3.0 No adaptada., [EN]: The wind energy sector globally has had an outstanding growth during the last decade. The Spanish wind energy sector has emerged in a context of political change characterised by the entry of Spain into the European Union, a decentralization process which led to transference of competences and responsibilities to regions and, the gradual liberalization of energy markets. A policy mix combining energy, industry and innovation areas was delivered aimed to support market deployment and technology development, however, differences appear in the way each region face the challenge in term of the variety of regional setting and the creation of linkages among policy, industrial and technological areas within the multilevel environmental governance system. This research aims to contribute to the analysis of pathway creations for the development of new technological sectors within and across a multilevel environmental governance system by looking at two particular processes: the use, combination and transfer of knowledge from existing to new sectors and in the other hand, regional renewal, transformation and specialization based on locally available assets. Literature on innovation studies and regional issues has recently emphasised the relevance of structure of technological sectors to provide a proper innovative context and conditions favourable to technological change, however less is known on the linkages between technological maturity and environmental change in order to exploit specific sector and market characteristics by applying different types of policy actions and instruments at different times. The first part of this thesis is focused in the characteristics of environmental governance systems and the multi-level and multi-actor interactions. We propose a chronological investigation of the policy instruments implemented at different levels in a variety of policy domains affecting the renewable energy and wind sectors (more specifically) in Spain. The emphasis is put in the search of complementarities across multiple level of governance and the dynamic pattern of implementation of policy instruments over time. The results indicates a coordinated multi-level policy to promote the emergence of new sectors through linkages with the innovation process aimed at developing technologies, and market deployment based on R&D support. However, even when the provision of long term targets and the removal of barriers to the electricity market have encouraged the industry in the process of market deployment, technology maturity and its evolution over time have been rather overlooked. The second part, examines the wind energy sector through market forces associated with commercial opportunities and technological forces driven by scientific advances. The investigation explains the rate (and speed) and direction of wind energy technology development within the adaptation process of industry capacity and technological background, by looking at the process of transfer knowledge and capacity from existing sectors to new ones. The results confirms that the modular combination of technological components has facilitated industry progress which has been driven by the search for increased size and maximum power capacity. The industry has evolved through diversification and fragmentation motivated by the search for greater efficiency in capturing emerging markets. In practice this process has involved a mixed strategy based on the process of knowledge transfer from existing to new sectors and integration process through mergers and acquisitions. More specifically, the Spanish case reveals as critical factor the long term cooperation agreements between the developers and wind turbine manufacturers. Finally, the third part moves on the analysis of pathways creation regarding the development of the wind energy sector in Spanish regions. The study compare the variety of key technological, economic and institutional factors across regions in order to improve the understanding on the way that different regional setting and competences may facilitate industrial specialization. We found that the role of regional policy has been critical for the process of implementation of renewable energy policy set by the introduction of government tendering (i.e. regional wind plans) introduced to provide a temporal horizon to the deployment of new markets. However, these actions are defined by different pathways towards regional specialization in term of natural resources endowments, differences in regional industrial settings and infrastructure as well as dynamics in the regional process of creation and application of knowledge. Specifically, results reveals that a pathway of specialization may not be fully articulated, however, same results suggest that there is no single route or pathway. At last, the pathway is defined by using and transforming existing capacities to develop a new technological sector. This thesis confirms that while international commitments act as a guiding force in establishing long-term environmental perspectives, national governments provide the right market signals and financial support while regional institutions act as a powerful selection mechanism to differentiate actors and their capacities which leads to distinctive patterns of implementation across regions. The maturity of the technology has revealed as a key element for value creation and a critical condition for policy implementation where the trade-off between flexibility and stability is a key element for long term planning. In that sense, the process of pathway creation to develop a new technological sector may be stimulated by a trade-off between provision of suitable conditions for innovation and flexibility in the policy instrument designed to foster competitive market. Finally, this research has showed that the regional setting and industrial histories can generate variety of specialization strategies. Thus, it would not be logic to expect a convergence to a particular pathway of smart specialization in term of sequence of action or specific combination of locally available assets. Conversely, it is expected to find different smart ways to achieve regional specialization., The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Union Seventh Framework Programme FP7/2007-2013 under grant agreement n° SSH-CT-2010-266959.

Resumen del trabajo presentado a la 3rd edition of the international conference Governance of a Complex World, celebrada en Turin (Italia) del 18 al 20 de junio de 2014., We analyze and compare the development of Wind Energy farms in three Spanish regions with a view to provide new understanding on the dynamics of smart specialization. Our focus is on the policy mix that allowed these regions, in different ways, to coordinate multiple objectives such as: security of supply, environmental commitment as well as local support for the creation of new markets and the industrial sector. In so doing the paper elucidates on the extent to which policy agendas and instruments for implementation are favoured or constrained by institutional path dependency. The empirical study is based on the triangulation of information from case study research. Analysis of these data will be complemented by network analysis, content analysis of documents and interviews as well as statistical procedures.

Resumen extendido del trabajo presentado al Third workshop of the Regional Studies Association Research Network: "Regional Innovation Policy Dynamics: Actors, Agency and Learning" celebrado en Manchester (UK) del 23 al 24 de Septiembre de 2013., Smart Specialisation has gained ground in the policy realm in recent years as a platform concept for the promotion of efficient use of public investments within well-identified geographical and institutional contexts (Foray et al, 2012; OECD, 2012). The roots of this concept lie in the policy and scholarly tradition that sees regional innovation as the thrust of economic growth and prosperity in the modern globalized economy (Cooke, 2001; Asheim and Isaksen, 2002). Because it is firmly grounded in the particular characteristics of local resource endowment, the implementation of smart specialisation needs prior sound knowledge of regional physical and intangible assets. There is widespread agreement that smart specialisation strategies build upon tight coordination between businesses, public entities and knowledge institutions. And though external knowledge sourcing and cooperation are an integral part of innovation strategy via smart specialization, the criteria for inclusion of potential partners are adjusted to the priority of avoiding unnecessary duplication and unviable collaborations. In spite of much progress on the conceptual front, the actual routes of implementation of smart specialization strategy are still not fully articulated. This is partly due to the complex nature of the governance involved in smart specialization, especially when policy design refers to multi-level decision-making in multi-actor contexts. But the pressing question remains: what is the route to smart implementation? And, perhaps more cogently, is there only one possible route? The present paper seeks to address these questions by analysing different patterns of diffusion of Wind Energy technology in Spain. Using qualitative data on the experiences of different regions subject to similar national and supra-national legislation, we will illustrate the contingent nature of policy, and the diversity of routes that have been used to promote smart specialization around what many consider an ultimately mature technology (EWEA, 2009). Spain has been at the forefront of renewable energy promotion since early days. The initial emergence of renewable markets of the 1990s progressively gave way to ever more sophisticated mechanisms for the impulse of energy trade in the decade 2000- 2010. Through a wise mix of investments in infrastructures and of programs for the reconversion of existing knowledge capacity from traditional sectors (such as aircraft, metal mechanic, electronics, construction and naval industry) Spain has outgrown expectations and competitors (Meyer, 2007; Del Rio Unruh, 2007) until becoming, in 2010, Europe’s leading producer of wind energy., We argue that this trajectory would not look so triumphal had it not been for the pivotal role of specific regional actors. The various forms of innovative capacity that enable the latent potential at heart of the Wind Energy story in Spain stem from a series of multilevel interactions between public and private sectors and, also, with actors placed outside of the local sphere. European legislation and targeted support to R&D were the formal triggers for the variety of responses observed across regions. Renewable energy policy acquired a strongly localized flavour in Spain when local characteristics such as natural resource endowment, latent potential from existing infrastructures and propensity towards specific paths of technological specialization materialized. In the case of wind energy the key actions can be synthetically outlined as generation of: 1) Production Capacity (energy production), 2) Research Capacity (R&D projects and patents) 3) Organizational Capacity (governance and decision making mechanism), 4) Innovation Capacity (technology development) and 5) Policy Capacity (availability, stability and timing of policy instruments). Using these dimensions as guiding constructs, we identify three paradigmatic regional cases in the development of Wind Energy in Spain: Galicia, Castilla y Leon and the Basque Country. These cases provide a wide assortment of routes for the implementation of smart specialization. To appreciate the diversity of development paths across regions we frame the analysis in the broader context as defined by the timing of critical actions, their evolution and the relative positioning of each region within a changing system of interactions., Galicia is among the early starters in Europe in promoting the wind energy sector, and currently the Spanish region with the highest installed capacity of wind turbines and of industrial centers. Galicia qualifies in our analysis as an “early mover”, and in some sense represents a standard case of smart specialization. Its development path differs substantially with that of Castilla & Leon (C&L), the runner-up region for density of installed wind park capacity and industrial centers. The stability and legitimacy of the regulatory framework have been key ingredients in attracting targeted regional R&D grants schemes and fostering the fast development of Wind Energy in C&L. Considering that it started with a relative disadvantage (i.e. a less developed industrial sector) and that it has over-performed several other Spanish regions we label C&L as “smart implementer”. The Basque Country (BC) is our third case study. Placed at the bottom of the list for wind energy production, it is the third region in Spain for number of industrial centers and the second for number of R&D centers specialized in energy issues. It is also home to key players such as Iberdrola (utilities), Tecnalia (R&D) and Gamesa (wind turbine manufactures), all engaged in tight collaborative strategy. The BC region has a long trajectory of R&D programs oriented to integrate industrial research and experimental development, as well as a proactive regional strategy – to illustrate, it is the only Spanish region that has made significant steps in the emergent offshore wind energy technology. Given this particular profile, we label the Basque country as the “knowledge creator”. By comparing and contrasting the experiences of these three regions, the present study seeks to provide new understanding on the dynamics of smart specialization by focusing on the evolution and change of regional innovation policy. We propose to focus on the policy mix that has allowed the three regions, in different ways, to coordinate multiple objectives such as: security of supply, environmental commitment as well as local support for the creation of new markets and the industrial sector. In so doing the paper will also elucidate on the extent to which policy agendas and instruments for implementation are favoured or constrained by institutional path dependency. The empirical study will be based on the triangulation of information from case study research. Analysis of these data will be complemented by network analysis, content analysis of documents and interviews as well as statistical procedures.

Trabajo presentado a la International Conference on Organizational Learning Knowledge and Capabilities, celebrada en Valencia (España) del 25 al 27 de Abril de 2012., The study looks to contribute to the identification of drivers and hampering factors from a different empirical approach and, by doing so, highlights the confronting perspectives of actors involved in innovation process in Spain. A set of rationales on the creation of knowledge is an expected output which can contribute to further research on the elements to be considered for the design and implementation of innovation policies.

Resumen del trabajo presentado al International Energy Program Evaluation conference, celebrado en Roma (Italia) del 12 al1 4 de junio de 2012., Achieving energy efficiency targets in buildings depends on various factors associated with the buildings themselves, location, energy source, consumer behaviour and the policy framework as well as the measures used to promote energy savings. A methodology was developed to evaluate and compare costs and effectiveness of different grant and incentive schemes in three regions of three EU countries participating in the EnercitEE mini-programme (European networks, experience and recommendations helping cities and citizens to become Energy Efficient). A cost-benefit analysis will determine which EE schemes are most cost effective and provide the most positive impact. Quantitative analysis is complemented by qualitative assessments focusing on the socio-economic context and policy framework in order to understand different factors contributing to the success (or less satisfying results) of different schemes. The analysis will broaden European knowledge of energy-efficiency schemes for citizens, increase understanding of factors that affect citizen participation, as well as particularities in the socio-economic fabric and policy context in which the schemes are implemented. Using tools such as SWOT analysis, comparative tables, and cost-benefit calculations (on data from international, national and regional sources), the project will: -Identify number of interventions, participating vs eligible households, types of intervention; -Eevaluate socio-economic conditions, policy framework, role of business sector, other factors; -Quantify costs of interventions (to citizens, to public sector) and benefits (reduction of energy cost, consumption, CO2 emissions) -Identify most cost-effective measures and comparison within and across regions -Formulate policy recommendations based on findings

En las últimas décadas, los numerosos estudios sobre la transformación de la ciudad compacta en una ciudad más dispersa y fragmentada ponen de manifiesto una mayor preocupación por los efectos de la ciudad dispersa en el medioambiente. Si bien consideramos que los modelos urbanos "compacto" y "difuso" no se encuentran en la realidad en estado puro, su utilización tiene su justificativo en marcar dos extremos opuestos que permitan situar el modelo de nuestra ciudad en relación con ellos. El objetivo del presente trabajo consiste en reconocer los patrones de comportamiento de las variables que inciden en los conflictos territoriales que surgen en cada uno de estos modelos en el Partido de La Plata. In the last decade several studies done on the transformation of the city from compact to more scattered and fragmented have shown the concern for the effects the open and scattered city may have upon the environment. Although we consider that the urban models, "compact" and "diffuse", actually cannot be found in isolation, they are used to represent the extremes that relate the model of our city with these two models. The purpose of the present paper is to recognize in La Plata District, the behavioral pattern variable that causes the territorial conflicts in each of the models. Fil: Frediani, Julieta Constanza. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Humanidades y Ciencias de la Educación; Argentina.

En la década pasada se ha experimentado un importante proceso de transformación de la industria, pero la misma no se tradujo en una intensificación suficiente de las actividades innovativas dentro de las empresas, y de las interrelaciones estables entre firmas, sobre todo en su territorio. En este análisis se estudia el contexto económico e institucional y se definen indicadores de innovación y grado de vinculación, que son aplicados a las transformadoras de plástico de dos municipios de la periferia de Buenos Aires. Además, se diferencian las redes que proveen bienes finales e intermedios a firmas líderes de las relaciones entre empresas que actúan en mercado de baja calidad y precio. Se intenta explicar la importancia de los condicionantes macroeconómicos, la política económica, la evolución de las instituciones y las estrategias de las firmas en la generación de redes verticales, horizontales y territoriales., In the last ten years, there has been an important transformation process involving industries, which has not turned into a sufficient intensification of innovative activities inside firms nor of steady interaction between firms, especially in their own territory. Through this analysis, we study the economic and institutional context and define the linkage degree and innovation indicators, which are applied to the plastic transforming firm of two cities on the outskirts of Buenos Aires. We also make a distinction between the networks providing final and intermediate goods to leading firms and the relations between firms working within a the low quality and price market. We set out to explain the importance of macroeconomics determinants, the political economy, the evolution of institutions and the firm strategies to the generate verticals, horizontals and territorials networks.