Empresa i innovació tecnològica

Recently, a new form of production has arisen which is based on knowledge rather than capital. Firms' ability to innovate has become a question of survival as they compete in increasingly global markets. This is why companies have taken over from governments as the most important source of technological innovation. Whereas government-sponsored Research Centres used to provide most o the impetus behind innovation, companies have recently taken the lead in this respect, particularly as regards technology. In order to foster and profit from this development, one needs o better understand how innovation arises and the range of institutions which make it possible. We will address the followlng issues: What is the institutional route map for technological innovatton? How can one explain the way technological innovation has worked to date? What processes arise from new knowledge and how are they applied to production? Lastly, what measures can be adopted by actors in the field to foster innovation? The answers to these questions will feature the theories of Paul Romer and Giovanni Dosi. We shall also present empirical evidence in the form of regional and company case studies (with special reference to Catalonia). We shall conclude by proposing a set of norms and measures applicable to each institutional actor.