NETWORKS, COLLECTIVE LEARNING AND KNOWLEDGE 
DEVELOPMENT IN
REGIONALLY-CLUSTERED HIGH-TECHNOLOGY SMALL AND 
MEDIUM-SIZED ENTERPRISES IN
EUROPE


The ESRC Centre for Business Research of Cambridge University 
is organising
a one day conference on the above theme, at which members of a 
European
Commission Network will report findings from their research into the
development during the 1990s of key European regional clusters of
innovative high-technology SMEs. These regional clusters include 
Cambridge,
Oxford, Grenoble, Sophia Antipolis, Munich, Goteborg, Helsinki, 
Barcelona,
Milano and the Dutch Randstad. The Network has been sponsored 
by DG XII of
the European Commission under the Targeted Socio-Economic 
Research
initiative of the Fourth Framework Programme, and is co-ordinated 
by Dr
David Keeble and Dr Frank Wilkinson of the Cambridge University 
Centre for
Business Research.


The conference will be held at Robinson College, Cambridge, on 
Monday
December 7th 1998, starting at 10.10 a.m. and concluding by 5.00 
p.m.


Particular issues investigated by the network include:

* how have these different European high-technology regional 
clusters been
evolving in the 1990s, and what has been the role of SMEs in their 
growth?

* how has their growth been influenced by regional and national 
policies
and institutional environments?

* how important are local and global research and technology 
linkages and
networks in the growth and competitiveness of high-technology 
SMEs in these
clusters?

* what are the relative roles and importance to these SMEs of links 
with
universities and public research institutes, with other technology-
based
SMEs, and with large firms?

*  how significant for successful SME research and technology 
development
in these regional clusters are "collective learning processes" 
whereby new
knowledge is developed, shared and diffused within the region? 
What role do
scientific, research and professional labour markets, and 
processes such as
new technology-based firm spinoff, play in successful regional 
collective
learning?


PROVISIONAL PROGRAMME


9.45 -10.10     Registration

10.10   Welcome and Introduction

10.20   European Regional Clusters of High-Technology SMEs: 
Evolutionary
    Trajectories in the 1990s
    Dr Christian Longhi, University of Nice-Sophia Antipolis, and Dr 
David
Keeble,
    University of Cambridge

11.00 Regional Institutional and Policy Frameworks for High-
Technology SMEs
        Professor Rolf Sternberg and Dr ChristineTamasy, University 
of Koln

11.40 Coffee

11.55 University and Research Institute Spin-Offs, Links and 
Impacts
        Dr Helen Lawton Smith, University of Oxford, and Professor 
Michel de
        Bernardy, University Pierre Mendés France, Grenoble

12.35 Large Firm Acquisitions, Spin-Offs and Links in the 
Development of
Regional
     Clusters of Technology-Intensive SMEs
     Dr Asa Lindholm Dahlstrand, Chalmers University, Goteborg

1.15 Lunch

2.15 The Importance of Inter-SME Networking and Links in 
Innovative High-
    Technology Milieux
    Professor Roberto Camagni and Dr Roberta  Capello, 
Politecnico di Milano

2.55 Conceptualising and Practising Collective Learning: 
Processes of Knowledge
    Development in European Regional Clusters of Technology-
Intensive SMEs
    Professor Edward Lorenz, University of Compiegne, Dr Clive 
Lawson and
    Dr David Keeble, University of Cambridge

3.45 Tea

4.00 Policy Implications of Collective Learning and Networking Processes
for European Regional Clusters of High-Technology SMEs
        Panel discussion chaired by Mr Barry Moore, University of Cambridge

4.45 Closing remarks


In order to enable and encourage younger European researchers, including
PhD students, as well as policy makers and regional government and
development agency representatives, to attend, the cost is being kept to a
minimum cover charge of £30.00.  This includes lunch, coffee and tea.

The number of participants is however limited, and early booking is
strongly advised. Booking forms are available from the:

European Conference Secretary
ESRC Centre for Business Research
Austin Robinson Building
University of Cambridge
Sidgwick Avenue
Cambridge CB3 9DE
UK

Tel:  01223 331567
Fax:   01223 335768
Email:     [log in to unmask]





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