Welcome to the Project Page for Pro Silesia and “From Knowledge Networks to an Interregional Innovation System.” The research is led by Dr. Adi Weidenfeld.
This page provides key information about both projects.
The National Science Centre (NCN) funded the projects under grant number UMO-2019/35/B/HS5/04010.
Faculty of Economic Sciences and Centre of Excellence in Social Sciences
University of Warsaw, Dobra 56/66 St. Room. 2.90
00-312 Warsaw, University of Warsaw, ul. Długa 44/50, 00-241 Warsaw, Poland
Albeit the importance of “networks” and “systems” to manage the mechanisms, which run various aspects of organisations and individuals, these concepts are often used interchangeably by governments, companies, and other entities, with little consensus on what truly defines each and what it means to operate systemically or effectively. Therefore, there is a need to understand better this difference in order to ו make these mechanisms function more effectively. This project explores how innovation emerges and spreads across regions, cities, and municipalities, drawing on insights from evolutionary economic geography and innovation studies. These fields examine how industries grow or decline over time, based on the historical development of their innovation processes and outcomes. In this context, innovation refers to new methods, services, and improvements in public service delivery and policy implementation that benefit regional economies.
The project’s focus was on networks of member regions or cities, where each member represents most or all of the key stakeholders in their area. Case studies include EMPIRIE Experience Exchange and Pro-Silesia, which are municipal knowledge networks in Poland, the Northern Ireland Local Government Association (NILGA), a knowledge network of regions in the UK, the Network of European Regions for Sustainable and Competitive Tourism, and the following exemplars of transnational networks including the Districts of Creativity Network, the Global Resilient Cities Network, C40, the International Urban Cooperation, the Partnership for Healthy Cities, Mastercard City Possible and the ASEAN Smart Cities Network. The project involved several key tasks:
1. Developing new ideas and ways to understand them;
2. Collecting and analysing both qualitative data (e.g. in-depth interviews with chief executives, managers, department heads, academics) and quantitative data (via a questionnaire survey), along with online documents;
3. Measuring various forms of proximity beyond just geography, such as cognitive, cultural, and organizational hierarchy, to understand how similarities and differences among individuals influence knowledge exchange and collaboration;
4. Sharing and disseminating the project’s finding;
5. The study identifies several aspects and conditions, which motivate and encourage network members engagement and encourage facilitating meaningful interactions for generating innovations related to public policies and service delivery.
First, the findings show that informal norms and habits among network members often have more impact than formal regulations when it comes to making networks more effective. Thus, they should be addressed by network management teams and members to the same if not to a higher extent than formal rules and regulations. Second, a balanced level of mental and cultural similarity—not too much and not too little—among individuals from different regions and cities helps facilitate knowledge exchange. Moderate similarities, along with shared habits, norms, and formal rules, support three key qualities of networks that create favorable conditions for innovation.. The first is shared goals, related to knowledge exchange and the second, coherence, referring to shared values, and ways of thinking and the existing of mutual interest in knowledge exchange. This is demonstrated in mutual perceived usefulness and complementarities in knowledge as perceived among network members (organisations). The third quality, boundedness refers to clearly defined geographic boundaries, where knowledge exchange takes place along thematic boundedness that focuses on shared themes/aspects e.g. climate crisis, aging etc. The project suggests that these should be emphasised by members and network managers when designing new policies and activities aimed at improving their effectiveness. The project led to four articles published in leading international journals and two book chapters, with more publications in progress. It also generated policy insights valuable to network members and management teams. The findings were presented at major national, international, and professional conferences, and featured in professional reports. Additionally, young researchers joined the project, gaining valuable academic and professional experience. Ultimately, the project suggests avenue for research on other disciplines as diverse as management, business studies, ecology, politics, and economy.
Methodology: Case studies and exemplars of knowledge networks of regions and cities in Poland, UK, Europe and transnational networks.
1. Conceptual elaboration of the knowledge network-system continuum, systemic regional knowledge networks, and knowledge networks of destination regions
2. Employing quantitative and qualitative methods to analyse primary qualitative and quantitative (interviews, surveys) data using social network analysis and content analysis
Publications
Weidenfeld, A., Hall, C. M., & Baggio, R. (2025). Knowledge Networks of Destination Regions: A Systemic Cross-Sectoral and Regional Perspective. Journal of Travel Research. https://doi.org/10.1177/00472875251388338
Weidenfeld, A., & Anusik, J. (2025). Exploring the systemic qualities and institutions of a Triple Helix municipal knowledge network. European Planning Studies, 33(12), 2184–2206. https://doi.org/10.1080/09654313.2025.2547900
Weidenfeld, A., & Clifton, N. (2025). Investigating the systemic nature of knowledge networks of regions. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 215, 124079. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2025.124079
Weidenfeld, A., & Clifton, N. (2025). The evolution of transnational municipal knowledge networks. Global Policy, 16(1), 45–63. https://doi.org/10.1111/1758-5899.13438
Weidenfeld, A., Makkonen, T., & Clifton, N. (2021). From interregional knowledge networks to systems. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 171, 120904. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2021.120904
Weidenfeld, A., & Hall, C. M. (2024). Tourism and Innovation -A Cross Sectoral and Interregional Perspective. In The Wiley Blackwell Companion to Tourism, Chapter 44 (pp. 652–664). https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119753797.ch44
Main collaborator:
Prof Nick Clifton
Department of Accounting, Economics and Finance, Cardiff Metropolitan University, Cardiff, UK CF5 2YB nclifton@cardiffmet.ac.uk
Other Collaborators
Prof. Korneliusz Pylak, Lublin University of Technology,
k.pylak@pollub.pl
Prof. Tom Broekel, University of Stavanger, Norway
tom.broekel@uis.no
Dr. Jakub Anusik, Institute of Green Economy, Warsaw
j.anusik@zielonagospodarka.pl
Prof. Michael Hall, Massey University, New Zealand
cm.hall@massey.ac.nz
Prof. Rodolfo Baggio, Bocconi University, Italy
rodolfo.baggio@unibocconi.it
Mr. Samuel Ganko, University of Warsaw, Poland
s.ganko@uw.edu.pl