Prof Elvira Uyarra is Professor of Innovation Studies at Alliance Manchester Business School (University of Manchester) where she is also Executive Director of the Manchester Institute of Innovation Research. She is a valued Manchester Conference Ambassador, acting as Chair of the Local Organising Committee for the GEOINNO Conference in 2024.
7th Geography of Innovation (GEOINNO) Conference 2024
The Manchester Institute of Innovation Research and Alliance Manchester Business School will be hosting the 7th Geography of Innovation (GEOINNO) Conference, at The University of Manchester from 10th to 12th January 2024.
The Geography of Innovation Conference provides a forum for discussion to scholars interested in scientific, policy and strategic issues concerning the spatial dimension of innovation activities.
In line with the six previous editions of the conference, held in Saint Etienne (France) in 2012, Utrecht (Netherlands) in 2014, Toulouse (France) in 2016, Barcelona (Spain) in 2018, Stavanger (Norway) in 2020 and Bocconi (Italy) in 2022 the main objective of this event is to bring together some of the world’s leading scholars from a variety of disciplines ranging from economic geography and regional science, to economics and management science, sociology and network theory, and political and planning sciences.
The conference invites contributions which showcase contemporary, cutting-edge research in any area within the geography of innovation field, with special focus key themes such as: the role of universities in regional innovation, innovation in peripheral regions, the spatial dynamics of innovation networks, mobility, migration and innovation, responsible innovation, social innovation and inclusive growth, innovation policy and urban innovation.
The local organising committee includes: Professor Elvira Uyarra, Dr Mabel Sanchez Barrioluengo, Professor Silvia Massini, Professor Raquel Ortega-Argilés, Professor Kieron Flanagan, Professor Philip Shapira, Dr Shukhrat Nasirov, Dr Cornelia Lawson, Professor Bruce Tether and Professor Philip McCann.
Commenting on Manchester as the host destination for the conference, Prof Uyarra commented "Manchester’s rich legacy of industrial revolution and its modern-day prominence in technology and innovation studies makes it an ideal location for exploring the evolving landscapes of innovation. The conference will also serve to showcase Manchester as one of the fastest-growing innovation hubs in Europe with core strengths in digital and creative industries, healthcare innovation, environmental sustainability, and advanced materials, but also facing key challenges to achieve sustainable and inclusive growth.”
Biography
Elvira has a degree in Economics from The University of the Basque Country (Spain), an MSc in 'Technical Change and Regional Development' from Cardiff University and a PhD in Science and Technology Policy from the University of Manchester. She is a fellow of the Regional Studies Association (RSA) and editor of Regional Studies.
Her research and teaching focuses on innovation and technology management and policy, especially regional innovation policy and the geography of innovation. She is interested in the dynamics of science and technology and how that leads to industrial, geographical and societal change. She has published on the conceptualisation of “innovation systems” (particularly regional innovation systems), innovation policy (policy rationales, multi-level governance, policy dynamics and the idea of the “policy mix”), the role of universities on regional innovation and entrepreneurship, and so-called “demand-side” innovation (and in particular the use of public procurement).
