RISIS (Research Infrastructure for Science and Innovation Policy Studies) is a European Consortium that brings together several research institutions. The aim of the project is to build an accessible infrastructure of data for research on scientific activities, technology, and innovation. In this project, the Samuel Neaman Institute leads Work Package No. 9 (WP9). The aim of this package is to develop geographical clustering methods that detect concentrations of spatial activity in the fields of science, technology, and innovation.
The importance of the spatial dimension is due to the growing interest in research concerning science, technology, and innovation (STI). However, Europe suffers in this respect, since it lacks a formal and acceptable definition of metropolitan areas equivalent to that of the U.S. This raises the need to develop a European method that would identify and further analyze spatial clusters of knowledge.
WP9 has three main objectives: to compare different approaches to spatial clustering; to propose a strategy of implementation that will integrate one or several clustering methods within RISIS datasets; and finally to develop and implement the selected method (or methods) in several RISIS primary datasets.
In 2015, SNI's activities within WP9 included participation in the annual RISIS conference and organizing a research workshop in Vienna aimed at determining the strategy for the project. The workshop yielded an update of WP9's work plan, the submission of a summary report for 2015, and the preparation for the 2016 RISIS annual conference.
In 2016, SNI's activities within WP9 included writing technical reports, participation in the annual RISIS conference in Amsterdam, and organizing a summer school on geocoding and geo-clustering methods in Paris.
