Tech Nation UK?: 'placing' the local geographies of path creation in the digital sector

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"In the aftermath of the economic crisis in 2008, digital technology was one of several strategic sectors targeted by the UK government to help stimulate growth and recovery. Whilst initial attention concentrated on supporting the rapid growth and international profile of the so-called 'Tech City' cluster in London, the policy focus has since shifted to supporting path creation in the digital sector in beyond London. Against this backdrop, this research seeks to develop a deeper and more critical understanding of the nature of local path creation in this new, more geographically extensive and varied landscape of growth in the digital sector. Moving beyond conventional cluster-based analyses of the digital sector, this research connects to the burgeoning field of evolutionary economic geography (EEG) to examine the dynamics of path creation. The project develops a relatively novel approach in exploring the dynamic interplay between four sets of path creation factors: regional assets; key organisational and economic actors; mechanisms; multiscalar institutional contexts. Comparative research will be undertaken in three localities set within contrasting policy and governance contexts - Newcastle, Manchester and Dundee - to better understand enabling or constraining environments which mediate path creation and outcomes.The research is a collaborative project developed with Tech North, a government-funded organisation who have a longstanding concern with the development of the digital technology industry in the North of England and Scotland."