Dynamics of Economic Spaces in the Global Knowledge-based Economy: Theory and Practice

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

During the last two decades, diverse spatial processes and various forms of economic practices have evolved in the global society owing to the progress of the knowledge-based economy in relation to the techno-economic paradigm shift. Economic spaces are dynamic and cannot be organized by only a single criterion of economic rationality. The changes in economic spaces are related with four global mega trends of the global knowledge-based economy, namely, globalization, information society, knowledge-based economy, and service world. However, most of the theories deal with only a segment in terms of major actors, processes, mediators, and spatial and temporal aspects of the economic spaces, hence, they cannot fully explain the complex and dynamic realities of economic spaces. We need an integrated theory to explain the dynamics of economic spaces in the global knowledge-based economy. This integrated theory must have the following features: incorporation of different approaches to complement each other; the integration of theories and empirical studies considering both Western and Eastern countries; the integration of diverse spatial scales through an evolutionary concept of networks; analysis of both services and production activities to understand the dynamics of economic spaces.

The main purpose of this research is to establish an integrated theory that explains the dynamic changes in economic spaces in the global knowledge-based economy and conducting empirical studies to confirm the theory of dynamics of economic spaces. Given this main purpose, this study attempts to analyze the following issues: 1) the governance of major actors such as state, firm, labor, community, and consumer in economic spaces; 2) contrasting spatial forces or processes; 3) mediating roles of institution, culture, ethnicity, and gender to connect the contrasting processes to the dynamic features of economic spaces; 4) the impact of innovation systems on the changes in economic spaces, including processes of knowledge creation and transfer; and 5) major dynamic features of economic spaces appearing in the global knowledge-based economy. The scope and contents of the analysis are different from the existing studies, hence the distinctive nature of this research.

The research will be conducted with the integration of spatial and sectoral dimensions. It also integrates two different approaches on economic spaces in economic geography and economics. The three spatial levels are local/regional, national, and international; while the four different sectors are high-tech industries, traditional industries, financial services, and knowledge-based producer services. The major methods of the research are literature reviews, statistical data analysis, in-depth interviews with distinguished scholars and company CEOs, special sessions in international conferences, and field surveys for questionnaires and interviews. The in-depth interview and field surveys will be arranged in conjunction with paper presentation in international conferences and delivering special lectures in the major universities in foreign countries.

This research will contribute to an understanding of the spatial disparity in the global society with the integrated theory and to the integration of two different interdisciplinary approaches in the study of economic activities in space. This research implies significant social contribution by enriching our understanding of the reasons and mechanisms of the uneven development. In addition, it will contribute to the enhancement of the national and regional competitiveness in Korea by developing appropriate regional development policies. The results of the research will be published in Korean and foreign SSCI journals every year after finishing the first year of the research. The final results will be published in the book from a major global publisher.