Peripheral regional innovation systems: conceptual contributions from Latin America and applications in Argentina

Abstract

One of the features that differentiates developed or central countries from developing or peripheral countries is the magnitude and intensity of the territorial inequalities within them. In the latter, the structural heterogeneity and the socioeconomic gaps between subnational centers and peripheries are much greater, as well as the variability among central and peripheral situations. Moreover, these gaps present multiple characteristics and particular structural factors. In order to contribute to understanding the center-periphery divergences within developing countries, particularly in techno-productive terms, the chapter discusses, combines and redefines some conceptual foundations of the Latin American structuralist school of thought and the regional innovation systems approach. This conceptual contribution is complemented with a review of different quantitative and qualitative studies from Argentina that seek to identify, characterize and differentiate peripheral regional systems, which can illustrate and inspire the application of such approaches in other developing or peripheral countries.