Association for Public Policy Analysis & Management

Globally competitive economies require well-prepared and appropriately skilled workforces. Achieving this outcome is facilitated by adoption of multimodal, novel network strategies that bring together human capital, technological, entrepreneurial social and educational resources to generate innovative economic solutions. Developing suitable workforces is impacted by: 1) recognition of diversity along a number of gradients: individual characteristics, perspectives, and capacities; 2) awareness of participation gaps on both the demand and supply side of the equation; 3) development of new partnerships with intermediaries (analog/human, in-person, virtual and platform-centric); 4) adoption of mixed-sector policy approaches to achieve well-prepared workforces; 5) reconceptualization of “work” matching resources to the needs of employers and institutions.

A literature review and baseline assessment suggest the need for a more robust understanding of: 1) flow of knowledge across regional networks; 2) the role and impact of inter-actor relationships that can help promote the targeted development of synergistic partnerships in emerging networks that may be more likely to yield results; 3) the impact of network intermediaries in regional innovation, 4) the impact of policy innovation as a network facilitator.

This paper presents a comparative case study of innovation networks in the U.S. and Canada focused on existing islands of innovation and innovative metropolises. Key factors included an examination of the role of intermediaries (both institutions and platforms), specifically, an exploration of how innovation networks adapt to technological changes (such as AI driven work), and identification of variables for a broader survey of policy instruments and actors addressing workforce and innovation efforts.