22nd Uddevalla Symposium

The 22nd Uddevalla Symposium 2019 on: “Unlocking the Potential of Regions Through Entrepreneurship and Innovation” was hosted by and took place at Gran Sasso Science Institute (GSSI), L’Aquila, Italy, 27 – 29 June 2019.

110 scholars from 16 nations participated. In addition to 10 keynote presentations (one was late canceled due to sickness) in the three mornings until lunch, 82 papers were presented and discussed in 18 parallel paper seminars.

The Rector of Gran Sasso Science Institute, Professor Eugenio Coccia, formally opened the symposium up in the morning of June 27th 2019. Plenary Session Chairs (9-12.00), who also chaired panel discussions, were on June 27th Professor Alessandra Faggian, GSSI, on Friday, June 28, Dr Iréne Bernhard, University West, Sweden and on Saturday June 29, Professor Charlie Karlsson, Jönköping International Business School, Sweden.

Keynote Speakers

The following invited keynote speakers presented recent research from different perspectives in relation to the overall theme:

Professor Martin Andersson, Blekinge Institute of Technology and Lund University, Sweden
Professor Ron Boschma, Utrecht University, The Netherlands
Associate Professor Simone Ghezzi, University of Milano-Bicocca, Italy
Professor Maureen McKelvey, Gothenburg University, Sweden
Professor Maria Minniti, Syracuse University, USA
Professor Raquel Ortega-Argilés, University of Birmingham, United Kingdom
Professor Simon C. Parker, Western University, Canada
Professor Olav Sorenson, Yale University, USA
Professor Rolf Sternberg, Leibnitz University Hannover, Germany
Professor Elin Wihlborg, Linköping University & University West (Guest.prof.), Sweden
Associate Professor Ting Zhang, University of Baltimore, USA

Special sessions

Seven special sessions were accepted to be organized by invited senior scholars from the Uddevalla Symposium network of which one was jointly organized by The Regional Science Academy (TRSA) and the Spatial Productivity Lab at the OECD Trento Centre for Local Development, Italy:

I. Uncovering the Role of Culture for Local Entrepreneurship
   Chair: Dr. Giulia Pezzi, Gran Sasso Science Institute, GSSI, L’Aquila, Italy.   
    giulia.pezzi@gssi.it

II. Cultural and Creative Industries and Regional Innovation
     Chair:  Dr. Alessandro Crociata, Gran Sasso Science Institute, GSSI, L’Aquila, Italy.
      alessandro.crociata@gssi.it

III. Innovation and Societal Development from the Perspective of Work-Integrated
      Learning
      Chairs: Professor Per Assmo, per.assmo@hv.se  & Assoc. Professor Fredrik
      Sunnemark, fredrik.sunnemark@hv.se, Assoc. Prof. Thomas Winman, Prof. Lars
      Svensson, School of Business, Economics and IT, University West, Trollhättan,
      Sweden

IV. Kinds of Regional Resources that Contribute Innovation and Creation of New   
      Industries
      Chairs: Professor emeritus,Tomomichi Yoshikawa, GSB, Waseda University, 
      Tokyo, Japan, t.yoshikawa@waseda.jp & Hironari Ukai, Professor of Graduate 
      School of Economics/ Faculty of Economics, Nagoya City University, Nagoya,
      Japan, hironari.ukai@gmail.com

V. Technological Change, Urbanization and Productivity Growth in the 21st Century –
      a session jointly organised by the Regional Science Academy (TRSA) and the   
     Spatial Productivity Lab at the OECD Trento Centre for Local Development, Italy.
     Chairs: Professor Emeritus Peter Nijkamp, Eindhofen University of Technology,
     The Netherlands, p.nijkamp@jads.nl, pnijkamp@hotmail.com & Dr. Karima Kourtit,
     Eindhofen University of Technology, The Netherlands, k_kourtit@hotmail.com,
     k.kourtit@tue.nl & Alexandra Tsvetkova, OECD Trento Centre, Italy,
     alexandra.tsvetkova@oecd.org

VI. Institutional Entrepreneurship and Structural Change: the Impact of
      Entrepreneurs on their Surrounding Institutions
      Chairs: Professor Helen Lawton Smith, Department of Management, Birkbeck,
       University of London, UK, h.lawton-smith@bbk.ac.uk & Dina M. Mansour,
       Birkbeck, University of London, UK, dmanso01@mail.bbk.ac.uk 

VII. Ageing and Entrepreneurship
       Chair: Dr. Mikaela Backman, Jönköping University, Sweden,
       mikaela.backman@ju.se

Best paper Awards 2019

The winners of the Best Paper Award of the 22nd Uddevalla Symposium 2019 were:

Roberto Antonietti, “Marco Fanno” Department of Economics and Management, University of Padova, Italy (corresponding author) & Sandro Montresor, Department of Economics and Law, Kore University of Enna, Italy. The title of their paper was: “The Role of KETs in Unlocking the Potential for (Un)related Diversification in Italian Regions”.

Motivation: The paper is focusing among other things related varieties, which currently is a hot topic with many dimensions that really deserves to be analysed. The authors are striving to be comprehensive with regards to concepts, such as key-enabling technologies, economic mechanisms and empirical indicators. In summary, a scholarly contribution of high quality.

The winner of the Best PhD Candidate Paper Award of the 22nd Uddevalla Symposium 2019 was:

PhD Candidate Paolo Malfitano, Institute for Economic Research (IRE), Università della Svizzera italiana (USI), Switzerland. The title of his paper was: “Immigrant Self-Employment and Intergenerational Links. The Swiss Case”.

Motivation: This a well written paper. The approach is novel and rigorous in analysing entrepreneurial capacities of immigrants and natives, distinguishing between first and second-generation immigrants in Switzerland. The paper has a robust methodology and its analysis is interesting and has real theoretical and empirical applications.

Jury: The Members of the Scientific Committee of the 22nd Uddevalla Symposium 2019 selected and decided upon the winning papers. The prizes are sponsored by the Uddevalla Municipality, Sweden.

Scientific Committee 

Prof. Martin Andersson, Blekinge Institute of Technology &  CIRCLE, Lund University, Sweden.
Prof. Per Assmo, University West, Sweden.
Prof. David Audretsch, University of Indiana, Institute for Development Strategies, USA.
Dr. Irene Bernhard, University West, Trollhättan, Sweden.
Prof. Paul Cheshire, London School of Economics and Political Science, UK.
Prof. Andreas Cornett, University of Southern Denmark, Sønderborg, Denmark.
Prof. Alessandra Faggian, Gran Sasso Science Institute, L’Aquila, Italy.
Prof. Maryann Feldman, University of North Carolina, USA.
Prof. Börje Johansson, Jönköping International Business School, Sweden.
Prof. Charlie Karlsson, Chair, Jönköping International Business School, Sweden.
Prof. Helen Lawton Smith, Birkbeck, University of London, UK. 
Prof. Malin Malmström, Luleå University of Technology, Sweden.
Prof. Mark Partridge, AED Economics, Ohio State University, USA.
Prof. Roger R. Stough, George Mason University, USA.
Prof. Lars Svensson, University West, LINA, Trollhättan, Sweden.

Organisation Committee 

Dr. Iréne Bernhard, Chair, Symposium Coordinator, University West, Sweden.
Prof. Alessandra Faggian, Gran Sasso Science Institute, L’Aquila, Italy.
Dr. Urban Gråsjö, University West, Sweden.
Prof. Charlie Karlsson, Jönköping International Business School, Sweden.
Ms. Rebecca Olsson, Symposium Assistant Coordinator, University West, Sweden.

Local Organisation Committee GSSI

Prof. Alessandra Faggian, Gran Sasso Science Institute, Italy
Dr. Margherita Grazioli, Gran Sasso Science Institute, L’Aquila, Italy
Dr. Giulia Pezzi, Gran Sasso Science Institute, L’Aquila, Italy

Co-financers and sponsors 

Learning for Working Life - LINA (Work Integrated Learning), University West, Trollhättan, Sweden 
Grand Sasso Science Institute (GSSI), L'Aquila, Italy
Municipality of Uddevalla, Sweden              
Schar School of Policy and Government, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, USA
The Institute of Business Administration, (Företagsekonomiska Institutet), Stockholm, Sweden
University West, School of Business, Economics and IT, Trollhättan, Sweden

Iréne Bernhard, Chair Organization Committee