Research Nodes and Networks

Analysis of the spatial distribution and connectivity of scientific research, using linkages between academic units (institutions and business)to assess the relative weight of the worlds metropolitan regions. The findings support Richard Floridas assertion that the world is "spiky" rather than flat, and that the scientific world is even spikier that other spatial configurations. It is shown that there is a great deal of path dependence in the spatial structure of science, with northwestern Europe and north America hosting most of the leading creative metropolitan regions. But there is also a disimination tendency of higher gropwth rates of Asian and Sourthern European cities. The chapter is the key empirical contribution to the comprehensive handbook of creative citieswhere experts including Åke E. Andersson, Richard Florida and Dean Simonton extend their insight with a varied set of theoretical and empirical tools.