20th Regional Innovation Policy Conference

The 20th Regional Innovation Policy Conference took place from 16 to 19 September in Birmingham, England, under the theme “Navigating Futures with Innovation: Resilient and Resurgent Regions.”

Dr. Sebastian Losacker and Linda Lütkes, together with their colleagues from the University of Padua, Prof. Silvia Rita Sedita and Dr. Amir Maghssudipour, organized the special session “History, Retrovation and the Temporalities of Regional Innovation.” The session explored how past developments, historical knowledge, and temporal dimensions shape regional innovation processes and can open up new development pathways.

Alongside contributions by Prof. Silvia Rita Sedita, Dr. Anna Butzin, Prof. Nick Clifton, and Lukas Zaghow, Sebastian Losacker and Linda Lütkes also presented their research as part of the session. Sebastian Losacker presented recent findings from the TRABBI project under the title “Old Roots, New Routes: A Revaluation Perspective on the Geographies of Innovation.” His contribution examined how bamboo is being revalued as a sustainable construction material in the context of climate change.

Linda Lütkes explored in the contribution, “Building on the Past: Challenge-Oriented Innovation in Bangalore’s Construction Sector,” how historically rooted knowledge and existing practices can serve as a basis for innovation in addressing current societal challenges. At the same time, she highlighted the challenges and barriers to transformation in the sector.

The special session provided a platform for discussing how regions can develop new pathways by connecting the past, present, and future.