A Critical Analysis of Innovation in the Marine and Maritime Sector of the South West of England

This dissertation is built on the understanding that the Community hmovation Survey, a large scale survey that monitors iimovation activity across all EU member states, has yet to benchmark innovation activity for many of the smaller economic sectors of the UK. Additionally, available literature identifies a need to develop a better understanding of regional innovation systems and their associated successes, failures and problems in order to reveal structural weaknesses and thereby inform EU and UK innovation policy. Consequently, this dissertation uses a triangulated methodology to benchmark innovation activity in the marine and maritime sector of the South West of England and examine the interactive mechanisms that support regional innovation systems. Methods used include two paper based questionnaire surveys, four focus groups and eight face-to-face interviews. Results reveal that innovation activity in the sector is similar to innovation activity that takes place among the region's other economic sectors and also among businesses at a national and, in some cases, international level. In addition, the research identifies evidence of structural weaknesses in the innovation system caused by a lack of available and accessible finance, stringent regulation and competition policies, a lack of commercial awareness amongst knowledge providers and the influence of internal business factors such as the number and nature of staff, business culture and organisational structure. Several recommendations are made in response to these findings. These include the need to thoroughly assess issues relating to innovation-related finance, the nature of regulation and the inadequate commercial awareness of some knowledge providers and provide additional support specifically to innovation-active SMEs.School of Sociology, Politics and La