A Network-based view of regional growth

The need to better understand the mechanisms underlying regional growth patterns is widely recognised. This paper argues that regional growth is partly a function of the value created through inter-organisational flows of knowledge within and across regions. It is proposed that investment in calculative networks by organisations to access knowledge is a form of capital, termed network capital, which should be incorporated into regional growth models. The paper seeks to develop a framework to capture the value of network capital within these models based on the spatial configuration and the nature of the knowledge flowing through networks.