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Innovation in Real Places: Strategies for Prosperity in an Unforgiving World Hardcover – March 19 2021

by Dan Breznitz (Author)
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 109 ratings
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A challenge to prevailing ideas about innovation and a guide to identifying the best growth strategy for your community. Across the world, cities and regions have wasted trillions of dollars on blindly copying the Silicon Valley model of growth creation. Since the early years of the information age, we've been told that economic growth derives from harnessing technological innovation. To do this, places must create good education systems, partner with local research universities, and attract innovative hi-tech firms. We have lived with this system for decades, and the result is clear: a small number of regions and cities at the top of the high-tech industry but many more fighting a losing battle to retain economic dynamism. But are there other models that don't rely on a flourishing high-tech industry? In Innovation in Real Places, Dan Breznitz argues that there are. The purveyors of the dominant ideas on innovation have a feeble understanding of the big picture on global production and innovation. They conflate innovation with invention and suffer from techno-fetishism. In their devotion to start-ups, they refuse to admit that the real obstacle to growth for most cities is the overwhelming power of the real hubs, which siphon up vast amounts of talent and money. Communities waste time, money, and energy pursuing this road to nowhere. Breznitz proposes that communities instead focus on where they fit in the four stages in the global production process. Some are at the highest end, and that is where the Clevelands, Sheffields, and Baltimores are being pushed toward. But that is bad advice. Success lies in understanding the changed structure of the global system of production and then using those insights to enable communities to recognize their own advantages, which in turn allows to them to foster surprising forms of specialized innovation. As he stresses, all localities have certain advantages relative to at least one stage of the global production process, and the trick is in recognizing it. Leaders might think the answer lies in high-tech or high-end manufacturing, but more often than not, they're wrong. Innovation in Real Places is an essential corrective to a mythology of innovation and growth that too many places have bought into in recent years. Best of all, it has the potential to prod local leaders into pursuing realistic and regionally appropriate models for growth and innovation.
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  1. Print length
    280 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Oxford University Press
  4. Publication date
    March 19 2021
  5. Dimensions
    23.62 x 2.79 x 15.49 cm
  6. ISBN-10
    0197508111
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0197508114
  8. See all details
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From the Publisher

Innovation in Real Places

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Review

"[A] compelling and timely book" -- Kevin Morgan, Regional Studies

"Want to be an innovation hot spot? Don't copy Silicon Valley... we should remember what innovation is and why we care about it. The first part comes down to realising that innovation is not invention." -- John Morgan, The Times Higher Education

"The abiding message of Breznitz's book is that it is a mistake to assume that "what works in one time and one place will always work across time and space... a defense of experiments, mistakes, and the right to choose." -- William H. Jeneway, Project Syndicate

"In this fascinating book, Breznitz, a professor at the Munk School at the University of Toronto, argues that innovation is 'the only way to ensure sustained long-term economic and human-welfare growth'. But, crucially, 'innovation is not invention, nor is it high-tech and the creation of new technology and gadgets". It is "the complete process of taking new ideas and devising new or improved products and services.' This Catholicism gives fascinating insights." -- Martin Wolf, Financial Times

"This book provides valuable guidance for all governmental or business leaders who are trying to find sustainable solutions in the midst of turbulent circumstances. Technology provides enormous opportunities, but these will be realized only through excellent leadership and management." -- Aho Esko, former Prime Minister of Finland

"Writing a book with advice to local leaders on how to create innovative ecosystems, which are resistant to the centrifugal forces of globalization, was a brilliant idea. This book proves that a precisely structured narrative can be a powerful tool to communicate the results of excellent academic research." -- Marek Belka, former Prime Minister of Poland; Head of the Central Bank of Poland

"A must-read book for researchers, mayors, economic developers and all those concerned with building more innovative and inclusive places. Breznitz combines cutting-edge research on innovative clusters and ecosystems, with laser-like focus on what works and what does not. His book provides a much-needed reminder that Silicon Valley is the wrong model: Cities across the world must forged their own unique paths and strategies for innovation and prosperity." -- Richard Florida, author of Rise of the Creative Class

"Breznitz's brilliant research on innovation and growth strategies coupled with a meticulous focus on explaining what does is means in practical terms for local leaders, makes is a must read for anyone who cares about their community. A truly important book and a highly enjoyable read." -- Thierry Mandon, Former Minister of Public Accounts and State Reform and Minister of Higher Education and Research, France

"In writing this highly engaging and accessible book, Breznitz has done an important public service. Readers interested in the future of innovation and prosperity will avail themselves of not only the most cutting-edge research, but also understand how it applies to their own community. Breznitz's provocative arguments against the Silicon Valley model and the Venture Capital Industry caused me to nod my head in agreement as the former Chief Scientist of Israel and wince in pain as an active Venture Capitalist at the same time. This's a tour de force and a must read for policy makers and concerned, but hopeful, citizens." -- Avi Hasson, former Chief Scientist of the Ministry of Economy of the State of Israel

"Finally, a book which is not only a masterful piece of research but is also extremely useful for policy makers. This very well written and superbly research book is a much-needed eye opener for the multiple opportunities that exist in our globalized world." -- Victor Sánchez Urrutia, National Secretariat for Science, Technology and Innovation, Panama

"Dan Breznitz has written a terrific piece which has influenced my thinking about the varied and multifaceted approaches to innovation that we need dependent on place." --Ro Khanna, Member of Congress

"The 'problem with startup ecosystems' says Breznitz, 'is the assumption of homogeneity. They think about their whole population as potential founders of new companies.' They need to instead 'realize that people have experience and capacities at all ages, all backgrounds. What a 45-year-old needs to start a real company is completely different from what three 22-year-olds will need.'

This is exactly right-and something that I explore in my own book (if I can get it finished)."
--Dane Stangler, Forbes.com

"It's what I think the doctor ordered as an exploration for some of the deep social tensions." Rob Johnson, president of the Institute for New Economic Thinking

Book Description

A challenge to prevailing ideas about innovation and a guide to identifying the best growth strategy for your community

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Oxford University Press (March 19 2021)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 280 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0197508111
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0197508114
  • Item weight ‏ : ‎ 580 g
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 23.62 x 2.79 x 15.49 cm
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 109 ratings

About the author

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Dan Breznitz

Dan Breznitz

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Dan Breznitz has been elected as a University Professor of the University of Toronto, and the holder of the Munk Chair of Innovation Studies at the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy with a cross-appointment in the Department of Political Science of the University of Toronto, where he is also the Co-Director of the Innovation Policy Lab and a Senior Fellow of Messi College. In addition, he is a Fellow of the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR) where he co-founded and co-directs the program on Innovation, Equity and the Future of Prosperity.

Professor Breznitz is known worldwide as an expert on rapid-innovation-based industries and their globalization, as well as for his pioneering research on the distributional impact of innovation policies. He has been a member of several boards, and has served as an advisor on science, technology, and innovation policies to multinational corporations, governments, and international organizations. He currently serves as the Clifford Clarke Economist of the Canadian Department of Finance, where he is responsible for new economic thinking and the restructuring of the Canadian economy. He was awarded multiple scholarly and public policy awards including the GTRC 75th Anniversary Innovation Award for Public Service, Leadership, and Policy and a Sloan Industry Studies Fellow. Before joining the Munk School, Breznitz spent eight years in Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) as a professor in the Scheller College of Business, the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs, and the School of Public Policy. In an earlier life he founded and served as a CEO of a small software company.

In addition to publishing numerous academic articles chapters and edited volumes in multiple disciplines, opinion pieces in leading media outlets, and national and regional policy documents, he is an award-winning author. His first book, Innovation and the State: Political Choice and Strategies for Growth in Israel, Taiwan, and Ireland, won the 2008 Don K. Price for best book on science and technology. His second book (co-authored with Michael Murphree) The Run of the Red Queen: Government, Innovation, Globalization, and Economic Growth in China, was chosen as the 2012 Susan Strange Best Book in International Studies by the British International Studies Association, and was featured in multiple media outlets including The Economist, the New York Times, and Forbes. His latest book Innovation in Real Places: Strategies for Prosperity in an Unforgiving World offers pragmatic advice while debunking dangerous myth on innovation, growth and prosperity, was chosen by the Financial Times as one of the best books of 2021, and won the inaugural Balsillie prize for Public Policy given by the Writers’ Trust of Canada, as well as the Donner Prize for the Best Book on Public Policy.

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
109 global ratings

Top reviews from Canada

Simon Pearson
5.0 out of 5 stars A must read...
Reviewed in Canada on December 19, 2023
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A great insight into the macro conditions of the past and the current goals of policy makers in technology. Highly recommend!
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Craig Aumann
5.0 out of 5 stars Thank you!
Reviewed in Canada on October 12, 2021
Verified Purchase
A big thanks to Dan for distilling his knowledge and learnings down to produce this most insightful "non-academic" book! For me, the value of this book is that it opened my eyes to number of ideas and concepts that I simply wasn't aware of in a way that really made the case for his central arguments.
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irving salit
5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant
Reviewed in Canada on January 31, 2022
Since I am not in the innovation field, I am new to many of these ideas and insights. I still found it fascinating. His discussions are sound and well researched and entertaining. This is not dry economics. There is great understanding of human behaviour. Like the social scientists Twersky and Kahneman.
One person found this helpful
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D. Hodgson
5.0 out of 5 stars Could be named “Why everything you know about innovation is wrong.”
Reviewed in Canada on August 12, 2021
A great book for anyone interested in innovation strategy or policy. Explodes the received wisdom on fostering innovation. Great insights into strategies and policies that do and don’t work, especially valuable if you live outside Silicon Valley. Although it primarily takes an macro-economic (not organizational) perspective, it definitely covers issues that any organization claiming to “innovate” should understand. I thought the sections on financing models and IP protection especially interesting and surprising. Tons of citations for deep dives if that’s what you want.
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Top reviews from other countries

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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Every government should read this (because every government is trying to “do” innovation
Reviewed in the United States on August 30, 2021
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This is such an extraordinary book compared to the work of so many others professing to know how innovation works. The author has a deep and nuanced understanding of what worked in the past rather than superficial awareness of names of policies with crude attempts to lift and shift.

For so many governments “doing innovation” means a construction programme of office buildings and financing attempts. Instead the author starts by explaining that innovation is the adoption of inventions; it is innovation rather than invention that makes a benefits societies and builds economies; and it is people and companies that innovate - not buildings, accelerators, financers, lawyers or politicians. So the key is to figure out what your policies will do to improve the behaviour and effectiveness of your local people and firms to do innovation. All the other actors need to be considered for the benefits they give to these true agents of innovation.

The author also spells out 4 stages of innovation - stage 1 is the sexiest and most talked about but also the hardest to bring and the least valuable to host. Silicon Valley is what everyone wants to copy and very few have managed to do so like Israel - who paid a heavy price in doing so. By contrast stages 2 (eg Hamilton, Canada), 3 (eg Taiwan) and 4 (eg Shenzhen, China) of innovation are more achievable, bring far greater employment, and require completely different strategies. To me the book was counterintuitive and systematic. I really enjoyed reading it.
2 people found this helpful
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Raffaele Trapasso
5.0 out of 5 stars A must read to better understand innovation policy
Reviewed in France on January 5, 2022
Verified Purchase
A practical book with a solid theoretical basis
Ideal for policy makers (at all levels) and scholars
A very timely book
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Cliente Amazon
1.0 out of 5 stars pessime condizioni
Reviewed in Italy on December 8, 2021
Verified Purchase
Ottimo libro pessime condizioni, come spesso accade con Amazon purtroppo
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神田界隈
5.0 out of 5 stars シリコンバレー的起業が全てではない。
Reviewed in Japan on September 4, 2022
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イノベーションや起業というとすぐに目に浮かぶシリコンバレー的な起業とは別の道があることを示した解説書。

「シリコン○○」ではないイノベーションの方法論は、わが国の読者にとって大いに参考になります。
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Kirk Bowman
5.0 out of 5 stars Could not put it down!
Reviewed in the United States on September 22, 2021
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This is the most readable, assessable, and thoughtful book on innovation. If policy-makers everywhere read this book, the benefits of innovation would be far better distributed. Highly recommended.
One person found this helpful
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