Page - (000180) - in Knowledge and Networks

174 From an evolutionary perspective variations can occur such that the entire sys- tem shifts toward a new configuration. Variations are defined as ties (or behaviors) capable of modifying the whole structure because their formation countervails the prevailing reproductive rule of the system. Glückler (2007) identifies three types of variations with potential structural impact: (a) ties that establish global bridges between the local cluster and distant alters (e.g., the pipelines theorized by Bathelt et al., 2004); (b) ties that establish local bridges by connecting groups that are proxi- mate but disconnected (due to gaps in the knowledge bases, for instance); and (c) actors who are part of different groups and act as brokers. All these types of varia- tions are operationalized by making explicit hypotheses on the expected location of block-model inconsistencies. Before we move on to the method, the next section introduces the case study and the data used for the analyses. The Case Study: The Experience of Italian Technological Districts Influenced by the theory of regional innovation systems, European policies have encouraged the creation of several R&D infrastructures (Landabaso, Oughton, & Morgan, 1999). In this section we focus on the specific case of policy-anchored technological districts (TDs). As reported in Lazzeroni (2010): “A technological district is defined as a territorial system specialised in hi-tech activities and endowed with factors that determine system innovativeness” (p. 48). In Italy this policy ori- entation led the Ministry of Education, Universities, and Research to set up 29 TDs between 2002 and 2004. The creation of TDs was the implementation of a region- oriented policy aimed at fostering innovation and competitiveness through “local aggregations of high-tech activities, made up by public research centers, firms and local governments, geographically concentrated” (Bertamino, Bronzini, De Maggio, & Revelli, 2014, p. 6). Thus, TDs are characterized by three elements: territoriality, specialization in high technology, and system innovativeness. TDs represent a key region-oriented policy instrument aimed at stimulating interorganizational collabo- rations through subsidization (Fornahl, Broekel, & Boschma, 2011). Even though TDs stem from the same policy, they have different specializations, governance systems, and geographical contexts. Given the high level of heterogene- ity characterizing these clusters, cross-cutting comparisons remain problematic (Lazzeroni, 2010; Miceli, 2010). We undertake an in-depth analysis of a specific case study by adopting an evolutionary perspective aimed at capturing changes with respect to a theoretical model (for a related approach, see Prota, D’Esposito, De Stefano, Giordano, & Vitale, 2013; Prota & Vitale, 2014; or Ardovino & Pennacchio, 2012; Capuano, De Stefano, Del Monte, D’Esposito, & Vitale, 2013). The case study investigated, IMAST, conducts exploratory research on compos- ite materials and polymers engineering. It was conceived as a corporate research center bringing together in horizontal collaborations the largest Italian firms in stra- tegic industries such as defense, aerospace, aeronautics, maritime shipping, and L. Prota et al.