𝗜𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗖𝗮𝗽𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆-𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴: 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹, 𝗘𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗰 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗥𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗜𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗦𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺𝘀

𝗖𝗔𝗟𝗟 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗣𝗔𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗦

𝗜𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗖𝗮𝗽𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆-𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴: 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹, 𝗘𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗰 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗥𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗜𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗦𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺𝘀

𝗝𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗹:
Regional Studies

𝗣𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗿:
Taylor & Francis Group

𝗠𝗮𝗻𝘂𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗽𝘁 𝗗𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲:
31 December 2026

𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗜𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗲

Rapid digital transformation, green transitions, global economic disruptions, and geopolitical tensions are reshaping regional economies and innovation ecosystems worldwide. In this evolving landscape, Innovation Intermediaries (IIs)—including research and technology organizations, incubators, innovation centres, technopoles, and knowledge-intensive business service providers—have emerged as key actors facilitating knowledge transfer, capability development, and industrial transformation.

This Special Issue seeks conceptual, empirical, and policy-oriented contributions that examine how innovation intermediaries influence institutional, economic, and social change within regional innovation systems. The issue particularly focuses on how these organizations foster knowledge exchange, enable diversification and resilience, support sustainability transitions, and shape emerging markets and regional competitiveness.

𝗧𝗼𝗽𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁

Submissions may address, but are not limited to:

• Knowledge transfer, value chain upgrading, and regional diversification
• Institutional, economic, technological, and production conditions driving the emergence of innovation intermediaries
• Innovation intermediaries and place-based, mission-oriented, or smart-specialisation policies
• Sustainability transitions, decarbonisation, circular economy initiatives, and social innovation strategies
• Human capital development and labour market transitions facilitated by innovation intermediaries
• Governance models, funding mechanisms, and evolving revenue structures of innovation intermediaries
• Policy interventions and comparative studies of regional innovation ecosystems
• Sector-specific functions and activities of innovation intermediaries across industries and value chains
• Market formation processes, standards development, and demand articulation for emerging technologies
• Novel typologies and metrics for understanding the dynamic functions of innovation intermediaries within regional innovation systems

𝗦𝘂𝗯𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗚𝘂𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀

• Authors should submit abstracts to the Guest Editors via email by 30 June 2026.
• Selected authors will be invited to submit full papers by 31 December 2026.
• All manuscripts will undergo a rigorous double-blind peer review process.
• Submissions must be original, unpublished, and not under consideration elsewhere.
• Papers should clearly articulate their theoretical contributions to the broader Regional Studies debate and highlight managerial and policy implications with lessons extending beyond the focal region.

𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗝𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗹

Regional Studies is a leading international journal publishing high-quality research on regional development, economic geography, innovation, policy, and societal transformations. The journal promotes interdisciplinary scholarship addressing regional challenges and opportunities in a rapidly changing global environment.

𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗜𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗲 𝗘𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀

Guendalina Anzolin, University of Cambridge
Simon Collinson, Zhejiang University
Federica Rossi, Università degli Studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia
Elvira Uyarra, University of Manchester

𝗣𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲𝗦𝗲𝘁𝘂 𝗔𝗰𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗰𝘀 — 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗲𝗿 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗔𝗰𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗰 𝗢𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 & 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

Visit official website of the publisher