Correspondence: m.fritsch@uni-jena.de

Summary of the Session’s Theme and Objectives

This session explores the multidimensional nature of innovation in regions experiencing significant socioeconomic upheavals caused by large-scale sudden shocks or transformational changes that destabilize existing structures (Radosevic, 2022). These disruptions, resulting from events such as political revolutions, conflicts, disasters, or economic crises, can foster new institutional arrangements, entrepreneurial practices, and adaptive innovations (Demirdag & Nirwansyah, 2024). The session aims to understand how regions can not only survive but also thrive in such turbulent conditions (Tang & He, 2023), exploring the interplay between regional conditions and the development of innovative activities.
We invite papers exploring the factors that influence the resilience or decline of regional innovation during disruptive events and the nature of innovative responses to different types of shocks. Key questions include the role of entrepreneurship (Fritsch & Wyrwich, 2022), the timing of regional responses, the long-term impact of disruptions, and appropriate policy interventions (Edler & Fagerberg, 2017). Analyzing case studies from around the world, the session aims to identify patterns, strategies, and the role of policy, governance and social dimensions in shaping innovation outcomes in regions affected by disruption (Flanagan et al., 2011).

List of Topics to Be Presented in the Special Session

• Exploration of specific types of innovation (eg, technological, social, institutional) and their direct impact on the revitalization of economies, the rebuilding of effective institutions, and the restoration of social trust in regions recovering from crises.
• (Case) studies of innovation in natural disaster recovery (eg, new technologies, community-led solutions, policy adaptations) implemented in regions after natural disasters, emphasising key success factors and transferable lessons.
• Policies and governance mechanisms at local, regional, national, and even international levels that either facilitate or hinder innovation processes in regions facing disruption, including the role of coordination and policy coherence.
• The specific roles and characteristics of entrepreneurship (eg, necessity-driven vs. opportunity-driven, social entrepreneurship) in generating innovative solutions and fostering regional adaptation in the aftermath of disruptive events.
• Analyses of the influence of social capital, cultural norms, migration patterns, and community networks on the emergence and diffusion of innovation in regions that experience disruption.
• Comparative analyses of innovation activities in different disrupted regions (e.g., conflict zones vs. areas affected by economic crises), aiming to identify common patterns, contrasting trajectories, and valuable lessons for policy and practice.
• The interplay between pre-disruption regional characteristics (e.g., industrial specialization, levels of inequality, quality of institutions) and the subsequent pathways and effectiveness of innovative recovery processes.
• Ways in which innovation can buffer or reshape the impact of disruptive changes on critical socioeconomic indicators such as economic growth, political polarization (eg, populist voting), and institutional transformation.

Key References

Fritsch, M., M. Wyrwich (2022). Initial Conditions and Regional Performance in the Aftermath of Disruptive Shocks: The Case of East Germany after Socialism. Industrial and Corporate Change, 31, 1428-1459. https://doi.org/10.1093/icc/dtac033
Radosevic, S. (2022). Techno-economic transformation in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union – A neo-Schumpeterian perspective. Research Policy, 51(1), 104397. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.respol.2021.104397
Demirdag, I., A.W. Nirwansyah (2024). Beyond disaster: investigating the varied responses of regional entrepreneurship to natural disasters. Natural Hazards, 120, 10413–10440. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-024-06753-4
Tang, N. & M. He (2023), The times make a hero: Street-level policy entrepreneurship in major crisis responses in China. Review of Policy Research, 40: 490-508. https://doi.org/10.1111/ropr.12550
Edler J. & J. Fagerberg (2017), Innovation policy: what, why, and how, Oxford Review of Economic Policy, 33(1), 2–23. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxrep/grx001
Flanagan K., E. Uyarra, M. Laranja (2011). Reconceptualising the ‘policy mix’ for innovation. Research Policy, 40(5), 702-713, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.respol.2011.02.005