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Dissertation_Ruoran Liu.pdf (1.22 MB)

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Old World in the New Economy: Shaping Metropolitan America’s Innovation Landscape Through a Half Century of Patented Traditional Technologies

Liu, Ruoran
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4018-6490
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=csu1719507036655021

Abstract Details

2024, Doctor of Philosophy in Urban Studies and Public Affairs, Cleveland State University, Levin College of Public Affairs and Education.
This dissertation investigates the restructuring process of regional economic development in US metropolitan areas through detailed analyses of the persistence of traditional technological innovations and their complex interplay with high-tech innovations. The dissertation is structured into three interconnected essays that address key issues: the sustainability of innovation in traditional fields, the impact of regional knowledge structures around traditional fields on high-tech innovation, and the potential for high-tech innovation capabilities to foster innovation in traditional fields. The first essay examines whether regions historically specialized in traditional technological fields can sustain innovation in these fields amidst stagnant population and economic growth. Contrary to the conventional wisdom that economic and population declines necessarily lead to diminished innovation, the findings reveal the enduring significance of traditional technological innovation for regional economies. The second essay investigates how diverse knowledge structures surrounding traditional fields can bolster a region’s capacity to innovate within high-tech fields. This chapter highlights that, regions with a broader mix of patenting activities across both related and unrelated traditional technological sub-categories tend to exhibit higher innovation growth in high-tech fields, thereby demonstrating a stronger capacity for economic restructuring. Conversely, a high level of specialization in patenting within specific traditional sub-categories may hinder a region’s ability to restructure effectively. The third essay assesses the potential for robust innovation capabilities in high-tech fields to enhance innovation in traditional fields. This notion challenges the traditional linear perspective of technological progression from traditional to high-tech fields. The results suggest instead a relationship where strong high-tech innovation capabilities stimulate innovation within traditional fields. However, traditional innovation is primarily shaped by path dependency, with the influence of high-tech fields serving a more complementary role. Overall, this dissertation critiques existing economic development theories that focus predominantly on growth and the prioritization of high-tech industries at the expense of traditional sectors. It provides policy recommendations for regions aiming to leverage their established industrial strengths within a knowledge-driven economy. The research underscores the necessity of integrating industrial policy with prevalent place-based strategies to achieve sustainable economic growth and revitalization, particularly in regions struggling with the effects of de-industrialization and economic transition.
Joanna Ganning (Committee Chair)
William Bowen (Committee Member)
Robert Gleeson (Committee Member)
Vasilios Kosteas (Committee Member)
Economics; Regional Studies; Urban Planning

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Liu, R. (2024). Old World in the New Economy: Shaping Metropolitan America’s Innovation Landscape Through a Half Century of Patented Traditional Technologies [Doctoral dissertation, Cleveland State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=csu1719507036655021

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Liu, Ruoran. Old World in the New Economy: Shaping Metropolitan America’s Innovation Landscape Through a Half Century of Patented Traditional Technologies. 2024. Cleveland State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=csu1719507036655021.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Liu, Ruoran. "Old World in the New Economy: Shaping Metropolitan America’s Innovation Landscape Through a Half Century of Patented Traditional Technologies." Doctoral dissertation, Cleveland State University, 2024. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=csu1719507036655021

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

csu1719507036655021
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© 2024, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by Cleveland State University and OhioLINK.