Roger Henning Normann

-        2003-2004 UG Organizational theory and analysis (OR-2100), University of Agder, Norway

-        2004-2005 UG Introduction to social science (SV-105), University of Agder, Norway

-        2012-2012 UG Methods in social science (ME-104), University of Agder, Norway

-        2012-2018 PG Innovation policy (SV-504), University of Agder, Norway

Innovation and Policy Studies, Feasibility Studies, Leadership, Participatory Research Methods.

Emergence of regional leadership – a field approach

Emergence of regional leadership – a field approach. Regional Studies. The complex processes associated with the emergence of regional leadership are interpreted in this paper through a field theoretical framework, and are discussed with example cases relating to green economy developments in four Nordic regions. It is argued that macro- and mesolevel processes create opportunities and constraints for local agency, and how local agency can respond to this is discussed. Field theory offers a novel perspective on regional leadership because it helps one gain a deeper understanding of the various forms regional leadership can take.

Multi-agent artificial intelligence and public policy 

Theoretical and methodological developments in modelling and complexity theory, in combination with technological advances and availability of infrastructure over the past decade, have made it a reality that digital copies of complex social systems, so-called multi-agent simulation models, can be made. In such virtual worlds, one can both experiment with and test political solutions and various policy instruments in fields such as integration, unemployment, health, terrorism, economic growth, etc. The tool thus has the potential to give politicians, planners and others new capabilities in relation to a more efficient use of public resources and develop more precise instruments and instruments for achieving political goals. In this paper we explain the state of the art in the field and discuss opportunities, limitations and various ethical issues related to simulation of social processes.

Economic specialization and diversification at the country and regional level: introducing a conceptual framework to study innovation policy logics

While there has been a shared understanding that innovation policy is about rendering institutional change, there has been an emerging interest in identifying the institutional logics underlying innovation policy. To date, few studies have attempted to conceptualise these logics. This paper develops a novel conceptual framework for understanding innovation policy logics based on seminal contributions from organizational and economic theory. The framework distinguishes four logics, namely, specialized exploitation, diversified exploitation, specialized exploration, and diversified exploration. It is illustrated in the empirical analysis of innovation policies and development on both national and regional levels in Norway and Finland. The findings reveal that in both countries there is a movement towards increasingly diversified innovation strategies, despite differences in logics underpinning the policies.