The concept of smart cities has become one of the most significant new lines of thinking to emerge in the social sciences in recent years, both from the research and policy angles. Allied to that, the idea smart specialisation has also gained significant traction – not only via its synthesis in the work of writers such as Routledge author Dominique Foray, but also as a requirement of the European Union to foster regional innovation in order to achieve economic growth and prosperity.
To date, smart specialisation has focused on what regions as a whole can do to bring about innovation – but cities are naturally central to this and this new book, drawing together a team of leading contributors, illustrates this process with particular focus on the Italian context.
