促进知识经济发展的关键是建立和完善国家创新系统,而创新系统中知识流动的效率是解释国家创新能力高低最重要的指标。高新技术企业和知识的生产和传播者在空间上的集聚现象说明知识的流动是一个空间过程。从创新系统的区域层次性、知识流动的区位效应以及知识创新的区域分工等现象中,可以看到从地理学角度研究国家创新系统的切入点。

The study of the national innovation systems by OECD and other individuals and organizations stresses that the flows of technology and information among people, enterprises and institutions are key to the innovation process. Knowledge flow as a spatial process, however, has not been given enough attention. The notable trend towards the creation of specialised knowledge centres near leading universities and the phenomenon that high-technology companies tend to gather in these locales are typical examples of such a process. The author argues that geography will contribute the study of innovation systems. Topics include the spatial process of knowledge flow, the formation and evolution of the specialised knowledge centress and high-tech clusters, and the assessment of national and regional innovation capacity.