This original and instructive new book defines and explores the concept of knowledge as the talent, skills, know-how and understanding embodied in individuals. The distinguished contributors advance the current research frontier in three novel directions which focus on: the role of human capital and talent for creativity, entrepreneurship and regional development; the role of institutions for the behavior of firms and entrepreneurs; and the influence of the global context on the location, export and innovation behavior of firms in a knowledge economy. They also address critical questions that underpin the emerging knowledge economy: Why does human capital and talent tend to agglomerate in large urban regions? How does this agglomeration affect the location of different types of economic activities? How does this agglomeration affect regional growth? Presenting the state of the art in the field of knowledge economics, this book will prove a stimulating and challenging read for scholars and researchers with an interest in economics, business and management, and regional and urban studies. Contributors: M. Andersson, C. Autant-Bernard, P. Billand, G.A.S. Cook, U. Grasjo, J.J. Gutierrez, T. Hatori, B. Johansson, S. Johansson, C. Karlsson, K. Kobayashi, H. Loof, N. Massard, K. Matsushima, P. Nijkamp, D. Nilsson, K. Nystrom, M. Olsson, N.R. Pandit, M. Sahin, R.J. Stimson, R.R. Stough, A. Todiras
