Innovation, Path Dependency, and Policy: The Norwegian Case
Edited by Jan Fagerberg, David Mowery, and Bart Verspagen, Oxford University Press.

The concept of National Innovation Systems is well established in academic research and enthusiastically adopted by policymakers. Yet there are relatively few in-depth studies of how individual national innovation systems have evolved to their present stance. This book provides just that. The contributions of the book are threefold. First, it develops an evolutionary and historically oriented approach to the study of the development of these policies that may have wide applicability. Second, it focuses on a particular type of innovation, innovation in resource-based activities, that differs in many respects from the more commonly studied case of innovation in “high-tech” industries. Third, the book advances our understanding of the roles played by institutions and politics in innovation. The book includes contributions from historians, economists, and sociologists, and offers an unparalleled account of the development of one of the world’s most successful economies.

List of contents:

Chapter 1. Jan Fagerberg, David Mowery and Bart Verspagen: “Introduction: Innovation in Norway” Section 1: The historical evolution and current structure of the Norwegian national innovation system
Chapter 2. Olav Wicken: “The Layers of National Innovation Systems: The Historical Evolution of a National Innovation System in Norway”
Chapter 3. Magnus Gulbrandsen and Lars Nerdrum: “Public sector research and industrial innovation in Norway: a historical perspective”
Chapter 4. Olav Wicken: “Policies for Path Creation: The rise and fall of Norway’s research-driven strategy for industrialisation”
Chapter 5. Fulvio Castellacci, Tommy H. Clausen, Svein Olav Nås and Bart Verspagen: “Historical Fingerprints? A Taxonomy of Norwegian Innovation” Section 2: Sectoral innovation systems in Norway – old & new paths
Chapter 6. Svein Erik Moen: “Innovation and production in the Norwegian aluminium industry”
Chapter 7. Ole Andreas Engen: “The development of the Norwegian Petroleum Innovation System: A historical overview”
Chapter 8. Heidi Wiig Aslesen: “The innovation system of Norwegian aquacultured salmonids”
Chapter 9. Terje Grønning: “The Biotechnology industry in Norway: A marginal sector or future core activity?”
Chapter 10. Knut Sogner: “Slow growth and revolutionary change. The Norwegian IT-industry enters the global age, 1970-2005” Section 3: Innovation policy & institutions in contemporary Norway
Chapter 11. Magnus Gulbrandsen and Lars Nerdrum: “University-industry relations in Norway”
Chapter 12. Magnus Gulbrandsen and Lars Nerdrum: “The technical-industrial research institutes in the Norwegian innovation system”
Chapter 13. Tommy H. Clausen: “Industrial R&D Policy in Norway: Who gets the funding and what are the effects?”

You may find a paper summarizing some of the main lessons from the book here