Research Reports
Infrastructure Building for Regional Innovation System in Rural Regions
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AuthorSong, Miryung
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Publication Date2005.12.01
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Original
The aim of this study is to conceptually delineate the Regional Innovation System (RIS) in rural regions, and to suggest a number of policy directions for the establishment of regional innovation system. Especially, for the first half of this study, various theoretical underpinnings regarding regional innovation system in rural regions are illuminated, and quantitative and qualitative analyses are carried out to capture the RIS infrastructure conditions in rural regions.
First, the RIS infrastructure in rural regions is composed of physical substructure, social substructure and superstructure. Their major components are relations of rural regions to nearby towns and cities for physical substructure, agricultural potentials for social substructure, and villagers' drive and motivation toward innovation and local values and attitudes toward innovation for social superstructure. Second, social substructure is found to be an important variable for RIS infrastructure in rural counties. In addition, the role of local government officials is found to be very important for rural people's drive and motivation toward innovation, and a negative correlation is also found to exist between external support and villagers' drive and motivation toward innovation. Third, requisite role and potential contribution of a mobilizer, such as village leader and local government official and head, is indispensable in establishing RIS infrastructure. In addition, mobilization of human resources through education and mutual learning is a very important strategy, and organizing those with common interests and goals is effective in sustaining innovation-related activities. Finally, government policy supports not only motivate but also sustain innovation-related activities, and especially in short-run, both local and outside experts and support agencies can play a major role in initiating regional innovation system.
Based upon these findings, three major policy directions and strategies in establishing regional innovation system in rural regions are suggested. They are open-ness, comprehensiveness and sustainability. Open-ness implies a network among both local and outside human resources; comprehensiveness indicates an inclusion of space for both production and daily life; and sustainability emphasizes long-term, on-going support for establishing RIS infrastructure. In connection with these three major policy directions and strategies, various strategies for identifying and training local mobilizers, developing and supplying education and training programs, and re-orienting central-local government policy implementation system are also suggested.
Researchers: Song Mi-Ryung, Kim Young-Saing, Chong Ho-Gun, Park Ju-Young, Kang Jong-Weon, Yun Kap-Sik
E-mail address: mrsong@krei.re.kr
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