Creating New Pathways in Peripheral Regional Economies: the Offshore Wind and Printable Electronics Industries in the North East of England
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CREATING NEW PATHWAYS IN PERIPHERAL REGIONAL ECONOMIES: THE OFFSHORE WIND AND PRINTABLE ELECTRONICS INDUSTRIES IN THE NORTH EAST OF ENGLAND Benjamin Fisher Thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Centre for Urban and Regional Development Studies School of Geography, Politics and Sociology Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences Newcastle University Word Count: 87,868 30th October 2015 ABSTRACT This thesis contributes to the emerging body of work on evolutionary economic geography focused upon understanding how new growth paths emerge. Path creation is conceptualised as a latent element within a more open and dynamic understanding of path dependency. The approach moves beyond firm-centric accounts by identifying and explaining the multi-faceted nature and interplay of multi-scalar social and institutional agents, factors and conditions that shape mechanisms of path creation. This conceptual framework is utilised to compare, contrast and explain the processes underpinning the heterogeneous path creation and development of the offshore wind and printable electronics industries in the North East region of England. The empirical analysis illustrates the varied forms and interconnectivity of path creation mechanisms that shaped, and were shaped by, progressive phases of multi- scalar socio-institutional agents, contexts and policy interventions. Evolving from an episode characterised by the mindful deviation of entrepreneurs in firm and non-firm organisations, the printable electronics and offshore wind paths entered a period of rapid development stimulated by a decade of national state-led enabling frameworks, resources and contextual regional policy intervention. The momentum in the offshore wind path evolved to a point that demonstrated elements of path dependency and ongoing adaptation. Whereas radical shifts amongst multi-scalar state institutions removed the strategic niche environment incubating the printable electronics path, creating a policy vacuum leading to regression of the developing pathway. The path creation framework developed here demonstrates the importance and influence of multi-scalar actors, institutional contexts and contextual policy prescriptions in supporting and framing the tensions between enabling and constraining environments that shape path creation in episodic and temporary ways. i DEDICATION For dad. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Doctoral research is a laborious, intense and time-consuming personal expedition filled with equal amounts of enjoyment and exasperation. However, despite my own fulfilling but sometimes rocky journey to produce this thesis, it was by no means an individual exercise. Throughout the past five years, I have been offered a huge amount of encouragement, advice and support, both directly and indirectly, from a plethora of people. I therefore take this opportunity to thank all those who have influenced, shaped and supported the completion of this research. To begin with, the empirical detail in this thesis would not have been possible without the active participation and cooperation of my research participants. The thirty-eight interviewee subjects, numerous telephone conversations, countless meetings and even more innumerable ad hoc coffee breaks that took place over the last few years with a wide-range of actors, both past and present, have contributed enormously to the granularity of the research findings. On a professional level, I would like to thank my former colleagues at One NorthEast, particularly Kim Wong, Jo Povey, Andy Williamson, Ray Thompson and Michael Ball, for providing access to information, “grey” literature and, most importantly, time to undertake this study. Thanks also go to current colleagues at Newcastle University and Newcastle Science City, particularly Martin Cox and Estelle Blanks, for their support. In addition, I would like to thank to all those colleagues and associates, past and present, and too numerous to mention here, who have implicitly and explicitly provided me with snippets of information, encouragement and support during the research, analysis and synthesis of this study. Finally, I would also like to extend my special thanks to Mark Pearson who contributed a huge amount of time, advice and intelligence to this research while at One NorthEast, and later, at the National Renewable Energy Centre. Unexpectedly and tragically, Mark passed away in 2012 but his contribution to this thesis and to the continued upward trajectory of the offshore wind pathway in the North East is one of a number of memorable legacies that he left behind. I reserve the closing acknowledgements for those that have supported and inspired me most over the past five years. I would like to acknowledge the significant contributions Professor iii Andy Pike and Dr Stuart Dawley have made to this research. As a brilliant and complementary double-act, Andy has helped me to sharpen my theoretical and conceptual focus, while Stuart has regularly offered me invaluable analytical insights and pragmatic advice. Together, they have provided excellent tutorship, commented constructively on innumerable draft chapters and most importantly, offered continuous words of support throughout the research. My family and friends have been a constant source of inspiration, particularly my mum who has offered nothing but encouragement throughout the research. Similarly, my wife, Victoria, and our new addition to the Fisher household, our gorgeous son Sebastian, have been absolute rocks offering unwavering encouragement, love, support and patience. Finally, I wanted to acknowledge, but more importantly, dedicate this PhD to my dad as the true inspiration behind this thesis. Sadly, my dad lost his battle with cancer many years ago but as a former scholar of the social sciences, author and lecturer at Newcastle University, he always wanted to undertake a doctorate but sadly didn’t get the opportunity to do so. On completing this thesis I’m fulfilling a life-long ambition that both he and I shared, and something that I hope he would have been proud of me for undertaking and completing. So, this one’s for you dad… iv TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ………………………………………………....... i DEDICATION …………………………………………………... ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS …………………………………………………... iii 1. PATH CREATION AND LOCAL AND REGIONAL INDUSTRIAL EVOLUTION 1.1.1 Introduction …………………………………………..……………………… 1 1.1.2 Path Dependency: From Equilibrium to Dynamic Path Creation……….…… 4 1.1.3 North East of England: Context, Historical Legacies and Place-Based Assets……………………………………………………………………………..... 7 1.1.4 Research Focus: Printable Electronics and Offshore Wind Pathways in the North East…………………………………………………………………........ 10 1.1.5 Structure of the Thesis……………………………………………………..… 14 2. PATH CREATION AND EVOLUTIONARY ECONOMIC GEOGRAPHY 2.1.1 Introduction…………………………………………………………………... 17 2.1.2 Background Context: Historical Theories of Local and Regional Industrial Evolution……………………………………………………………....... 18 2.1.3 The Rise of Evolutionary Economics………………………………………... 21 2.1.4 Evolutionary Economics and Economic Geography……………………….... 22 2.1.5 Constructing a Definition: What is a Pathway? …………………………….. 24 2.1.6 Path Creation…………………………………………………………………. 25 2.1.7 Chance, Emergence and Path Dependency..................................................... 25 2.1.8 Strategic Agency and Path Creation…………………………………………. 29 2.1.9 Path Creation and Interrelations with Path Dependency…………….…......... 33 2.2.0 Path Creation as a Process…………………………………………………… 35 2.2.1 Mechanisms of Path Creation……………………………………………….. 37 2.2.2 Indigenous Creation…………………………………………………………. 38 2.2.3 Heterogeneity, Related Variety and Branching……………………………… 40 2.2.4 Transplantation…………………………………………………………….… 43 2.2.5 Upgrading Existing Technologies, Firms and Industries………………….… 43 v 2.2.6 Path Creation and Social and Institutional Agency…………………………. 44 2.2.7 The Geographical Political Economy of Path Creation…………………….. 46 2.2.8 Path Creation and Evolutionary-Informed Local and Regional Policy…….. 48 2.2.9 Conclusion…………………………………………………………………... 52 3. METHODOLOGY 3.1.1 Introduction…………………………………………………………………. 54 3.1.2 Epistemological, Ontological and Theoretical Positioning…………………. 55 3.1.3 Selecting and Applying a Research Design…………………………….…… 57 3.1.4 Methodological Approach: Selecting and Applying Mixed Methods……… 59 3.1.5 Research Methodology……………………………………………………… 62 3.1.6 Post-Fieldwork: Analysis…………………………………………………… 67 3.1.7 Researcher Identity, Positionality and Reflexivity…………………………. 69 3.1.8 Conclusion………………………………………………………………….. 70 4. PATH CREATION OF OFFSHORE WIND AND FLEXIBLE ELECTRONICS INDUSTRIES IN THE NORTH EAST 4.1.1 Introduction………………………………………………………………….. 72 4.1.2 Creating New Growth Paths: The Emergence of the Offshore Wind Industry in the North East…………………………………………………………. 73 4.1.3 Creating New Growth Paths: The Breakthrough of the Flexible Electronics Industry in the North East…………………………………………….. 77 4.1.4 Summary: Divergent Origins of Path Creation……………………………… 82 4.2. MECHANISMS OF PATH CREATION 4.2.1 Introduction………………………………………………………………….. 84 4.2.2 Indigenous Creation……………………………………………………........ 84 4.2.3 Variety and Related Variety……………………………………………........ 87 4.2.4 Transplantation……………………………………………………………… 88 4.2.5 Summary: Indigenous Creation, Variety and Path Creation …………….… 89 4.3. NATIONAL INSTITUTIONAL ACTORS, CONDITIONS AND FACTORS IN PATH CREATION 4.3.1 Introduction………………………………………………………………….. 91 4.3.2 National State Policy and Regulation of the UK Offshore Wind Industry….. 91 4.3.3