The Eleventh Globelics Conference, held in Ankara, Türkiye, from 11 to 13 September 2013, was organized under the theme “Innovation and Sustainable Competitiveness: Dynamics of Knowledge, Networks, Systems and Institutions.” Hosted by Middle East Technical University (METU) in collaboration with the Economic Research Forum (ERF) and the Globelics network, the conference provided an interdisciplinary platform for examining how innovation systems contribute to sustainable competitiveness in an increasingly interconnected global economy. Bringing together academics, policymakers, and development practitioners from every region of the world, the event further strengthened Globelics’ role as one of the leading international communities devoted to innovation and development research.
The conference was coordinated by an international organizing team led by Professor Erkan Erdil of Middle East Technical University, who served as Conference Chair and oversaw the academic programme together with colleagues from METU and the Globelics network. The successful organization of the event reflected close cooperation between Turkish academic institutions and the international Globelics community, creating opportunities for dialogue among researchers from Europe, Asia, Africa, Latin America, and North America. This collaboration reinforced one of Globelics’ defining characteristics: the integration of diverse regional perspectives into a common research agenda on innovation and development.
Scientific guidance was provided by a distinguished international committee composed of many of the scholars who have shaped innovation studies over the last decades. Bengt-Åke Lundvall of Aalborg University, founder of the Globelics network, continued to provide the intellectual foundation for discussions on learning economies and innovation systems. He was joined by internationally recognized researchers including Richard Nelson of Columbia University, Luc Soete of UNU-MERIT, Judith Sutz of the Universidad de la República, Franco Malerba of Università Bocconi, Gabriela Dutrénit of the Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Shulin Gu of Tsinghua University, Rajah Rasiah of the University of Malaya, and Rasigan Maharajh of the Tshwane University of Technology, among many others. Their contributions ensured that the conference combined theoretical advances with practical policy perspectives drawn from different regions of the world.
Unlike previous conferences that emphasized technological capability building or inclusive growth, the Ankara meeting focused on the complex interactions between knowledge creation, institutional development, collaborative networks, and innovation systems as drivers of sustainable competitiveness. Participants explored how firms, universities, governments, and research organizations cooperate to generate knowledge, diffuse innovation, and strengthen long-term economic resilience. Discussions highlighted that competitiveness should be understood not only in terms of productivity but also through the capacity of societies to sustain innovation while responding to economic, environmental, and social challenges.
The scientific programme reflected the multidisciplinary nature of contemporary innovation studies. Parallel sessions addressed topics including national and regional innovation systems, entrepreneurship, industrial policy, university–industry collaboration, technological capability building, global value chains, sustainability transitions, knowledge networks, intellectual property, and science, technology and innovation policy. Researchers presented empirical evidence from developed and developing economies, allowing participants to compare institutional experiences and identify both shared and context-specific development challenges.
A recurring theme throughout the conference was the growing importance of international collaboration in addressing global development issues. Presentations demonstrated how knowledge flows increasingly transcend national borders through research partnerships, multinational enterprises, academic networks, and international policy initiatives. At the same time, participants emphasized that successful innovation strategies must remain grounded in local institutional capacities, recognizing that effective policies require adaptation to each country’s historical, economic, and social conditions rather than the replication of universal models.
The conference also provided an important opportunity for emerging scholars to engage directly with internationally recognized experts. Through paper presentations, panel discussions, and networking activities, participants exchanged ideas on new methodological approaches, recent empirical findings, and future directions for innovation research. These interactions strengthened existing collaborations while encouraging new partnerships among universities, research institutes, and policy organizations from different regions.
By the conclusion of the meeting, the Eleventh Globelics Conference had further expanded the network’s intellectual agenda by demonstrating that sustainable competitiveness depends on the interaction of knowledge, institutions, and collaborative networks rather than on technological advances alone. The discussions held in Ankara reinforced Globelics’ commitment to promoting research that supports innovation-driven, inclusive, and sustainable development, while strengthening international cooperation among scholars working to understand the evolving dynamics of innovation systems in both advanced and developing economies.