Diverse agencies in reconfiguring regional innovation systems amid path decline: the Piedmontese automotive crisis

Social, economic and ecological challenges require the reconfiguration of regional innovation systems (RIS). Drawing on the emerging literature examining how such reconfiguration unfolds, this article sheds light on the diverse agencies at play in RIS reconfiguration as actors respond to challenges related to path decline. Conceptually, we propose a framework to disentangle change and maintenance agencies in RIS reconfiguration through the lens of the four core processes for developing a challenge-oriented regional innovation system. Empirically, we explore the case of the declining automotive industry in Piedmont, Italy. Findings reveal how regional actors influence the identification of challenges and assets, the search for place-specific solutions and the orchestration of challenge-oriented initiatives to reconfigure automotive-related parts of the RIS. The case also shows how some actors work against transformative responses to the European automotive crisis.