Behind every paper is a story: a place sparked a question, a crisis that demanded answers, a community that changed how scholars see the world. RegInno Podcast by the Centre for Innovation Research at the University of Stavanger brings scholars together to explore experiences, places, and ideas shaping their work.
Tamás Sebestyén on Networks, Value Chains and Catching Up – Why Foreign Investment Alone Is Not Enough
In episode 10 of the RegInno podcast, Raj and Andra Riandita welcome Tamás Sebestyén, Vice Dean of the Faculty of Business and Economics at the University of Pécs and head of the EconNet research team.
Tamás explains how he moved from growth economics into network science, and why the structure of global value chains matters for regional development. Drawing on global input-output tables and Hungarian firm-level VAT transaction data, he discusses a central finding from his work on Central and Eastern Europe: attracting multinational firms is not by itself enough. Domestic firms gain in productivity, export entry and product diversification only when they actually connect to foreign firms as suppliers, and that connection tends to build gradually, from simple parts supply towards genuine joint innovation. The conversation also covers the practical barriers to accessing administrative and private-sector data for research, and the network metrics used to measure how dual or how integrated a national economy is.
Find Tamás Sebestyén (https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fktk.pte.hu%2Fhu%2Fsebestyen-tamas&data=05%7C02%7Cpodkast%40uis.no%7C9ef381daa8ee4004702008df28601669%7Cf8a213d28f6c400d9e744e8b475316c6%7C1%7C0%7C639274065315384082%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=6PE5S90v1q4gISSpP5XE%2F5GGVzMnUHWAEPsxuS2GwbU%3D&reserved=0) on Google Scholar (https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fscholar.google.com%2Fcitations%3Fuser%3DjyW1KHIAAAAJ%26hl%3Den&data=05%7C02%7Cpodkast%40uis.no%7C9ef381daa8ee4004702008df28601669%7Cf8a213d28f6c400d9e744e8b475316c6%7C1%7C0%7C639274065315404657%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=HUSMKDN%2Fi95TkJB8XAhxKY%2FElPgr5gVOJAQI4idYkGA%3D&reserved=0), LinkedIn (https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fin%2Ftam%25C3%25A1s-sebesty%25C3%25A9n-68252644%2F&data=05%7C02%7Cpodkast%40uis.no%7C9ef381daa8ee4004702008df28601669%7Cf8a213d28f6c400d9e744e8b475316c6%7C1%7C0%7C639274065315419242%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=BulzHvJNuyb1a75Yqbdi%2FT16WsQQlaA8J7W%2BDFxOgz0%3D&reserved=0), and the website of the EconNet Research Team (https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fktk.pte.hu%2Fen%2Fresearch%2Fresearch-teams%2Feconnet-team&data=05%7C02%7Cpodkast%40uis.no%7C9ef381daa8ee4004702008df28601669%7Cf8a213d28f6c400d9e744e8b475316c6%7C1%7C0%7C639274065315434048%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=2g0qbMWjpkAvm8ftWlkwI5xXxXm8Lm0BkhaBhRNL4x0%3D&reserved=0).
Please follow the Centre for Innovation Research (https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fcompany%2Fcentre-for-innovation-research%2F&data=05%7C02%7Cpodkast%40uis.no%7C9ef381daa8ee4004702008df28601669%7Cf8a213d28f6c400d9e744e8b475316c6%7C1%7C0%7C639274065315450709%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=dycmmLYbfuQCW%2B1c9stC2dd3SAK9%2B23OeBB661ULbLU%3D&reserved=0) and the RegInno Podcast (https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fnettop.guru%2Fwordpress%2Fcategory%2Freginno%2F&data=05%7C02%7Cpodkast%40uis.no%7C9ef381daa8ee4004702008df28601669%7Cf8a213d28f6c400d9e744e8b475316c6%7C1%7C0%7C639274065315471800%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=Q%2BoiRai80pe%2FHdO3A9w6kE%2FyI5ZzCUwQMIqX8InZXAA%3D&reserved=0) for other episodes.
Episode transcript will be available shortly
1 Jul 2026
Transformative Dissonance: When Value Conflicts Drive Regional Change
In this episode, Gisa Pflitsch discusses how value conflicts can drive regional transformation rather than block it. She introduces the concept of transformative dissonance, explains how it reshapes the role of universities beyond entrepreneurial and engaged models, and reflects on funding pressures, projectification, regional imaginaries, and inequality as a question of voice and representation.
Find Gisa on the Google Scholar (https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=yZbIFA0AAAAJ&hl=de)
Please follow Centre for Innovation Research (https://www.linkedin.com/company/centre-for-innovation-research/) for other episodes.
Episode transcription (https://podcast.uis.no/media/SIF/2026_0608_1411.pdf)
#RegInno_Podcast
11 Jun 2026
The Geography of AI: Why Adoption Matters More Than Generation (and some career advice)
What does AI really mean for regional development – and are we asking the right questions? Together with Professor Andrés Rodríguez-Pose, Princesa de Asturias Chair at the London School of Economics (and professor 2 at UiS), we explore why the geography of AI adoption may matter far more than the race to generate it. From ASML in Veldhoven to BioNTech in Mainz, Andrés draws on a sweeping view of European innovation to argue that the places falling behind could actually gain the most – if we shift our focus from chasing Silicon Valley to leveraging comparative advantage. We also hear his reflections on a career built on curiosity, two PhDs, and a lifelong passion for understanding why some places thrive and others don’t.
Find Andrés Rodríguez-Pose on Google Scholar (https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=hLRMgKsAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=sra), LinkedIn (http://linkedin.com/in/andr%C3%A9s-rodr%C3%ADguez-pose-814a45a/?skipRedirect=true), the website of the Department of Geography and Environment at the LSE (https://www.lse.ac.uk/people/andres-rodriguez-pose) and the website of the University of Stavanger (https://www.uis.no/en/profile/andres-rodriguez-pose).
Please follow the Centre for Innovation Research (https://www.linkedin.com/company/centre-for-innovation-research/) and the RegInno Podcast (https://nettop.guru/wordpress/category/reginno/) for other episodes.
#RegInno_Podcast
Episode transcription (https://podcast.uis.no/media/SIF/2026_0527_1003.pdf)
9 Jun 2026
Web AI and Innovation Research: How Text Analysis is Transforming Economic Geography
In this episode, Milad Abbasiharofteh discusses the evolution of innovation research, from patents and trademarks to web-based text analysis and generative AI. He shares how researchers can uncover hidden innovation activities, track technology diffusion, and leverage AI responsibly while emphasizing validation, sustainability, and emerging opportunities in economic geography.
Find Milad on the Google Scholar (https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=FKTGv_AAAAAJ&hl=en)
Please follow Centre for Innovation Research (https://www.linkedin.com/company/centre-for-innovation-research/) for other episodes.
#RegInno_Podcast
Episode transcription (https://podcast.uis.no/media/SIF/2026_0512_1418.pdf)
18 May 2026
From Tax Incentives to Innovation Spillovers: Rethinking R&D Policy
In this episode, innovation economist Matěj Bajgar discusses how R&D tax incentives shape innovation, why smaller firms often benefit the most, and how policy design can better support regional development. The conversation explores innovation economics, startup financing, regional disparities, and emerging research on innovation spillovers through firm networks.
Here you also have the opportunity to add links to websites:
Find Andy on the Matěj Bajgar (https://matejbajgar.com/), Google Scholar (https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=8k_3ZjYAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao)
Please follow Centre for Innovation Research (https://www.linkedin.com/company/centre-for-innovation-research/) for other episodes.
Episode transcription (https://podcast.uis.no/media/SIF/2026_0414_1540_MASTER.pdf)
18 May 2026
Making do, making well – Resource‑constrained innovation from the ‘other side’
In this episode, Professor Soumodip Sarkar discusses how innovation emerges under resource constraints, particularly in “non-WEIRD” contexts (non-Western, less resource-rich environments). The conversation explores frugal innovation, grassroots innovation, bricolage, COVID-era problem solving, low-cost technological breakthroughs, and the future of industrial policy in the age of AI.
Find Soumodip Sarkar LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/soumodip-sarkar-4a49551/?lipi=urn%3Ali%3Apage%3Ad_flagship3_detail_base%3B7TqS6N3jS7Gk8EKo70JaNQ%3D%3D) , Google Scholar (https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=_lp0Lf0AAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao).
Please follow the Centre for Innovation Research (https://www.linkedin.com/company/centre-for-innovation-research/) and the RegInno Podcast (https://nettop.guru/wordpress/category/reginno/) for other episodes.
#RegInno_Podcast
Episode transcription (https://podcast.uis.no/media/SIF/2026_0507_1416_MASTER.pdf)
11 May 2026
Charged Up: Europe, China & the Battery Race That’s Reshaping Geography
Dr. Julian Schwabe (Marburg) joins The RegInno Podcast to discuss how the electric vehicle revolution is rewriting global production networks — from Shenzhen’s battery clusters to Wolfsburg’s anxious boardrooms — and what it means for Europe’s regions, jobs, and industrial future.
Optional links (e.g. website):
Find Julian Schwabe on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-julian-schwabe?lipi=urn%3Ali%3Apage%3Aorganization_admin_admin_page_posts_published%3B0bd60556-64d6-43d5-93ce-eec5ef818e9f), Google Scholar (https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=LOyaGnsAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao)and the website of the University of Marburg (https://www.uni-marburg.de/de/fb19/fachbereich/staff/dr-julian-schwabe), where he is also the Head of the Department.
Please follow the Centre for Innovation Research (https://www.linkedin.com/company/centre-for-innovation-research/) and the RegInno Podcast (https://nettop.guru/wordpress/category/reginno/) for other episodes.
Episode transcription (https://podcast.uis.no/media/SIF/2026_0319_0902_MASTER.pdf)
27 Apr 2026
Hidden Champions: Breaking the Urban Bias in Innovation
Are cities really the engines of innovation? Together with Thilo Lang, we explore how “hidden champions” – global leaders in niche markets – are distributed across regions and operate with similar innovation dynamics regardless of location. The conversation challenges urban bias and rethinks how we understand peripherality and regional development.
Find Thilo Lang on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/thilo-lang-72814218/), Google Scholar (https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=u2leh8gAAAAJ&hl=de) and the website of the Leibniz Institute for Regional Geography (https://www.uni-leipzig.de/en/profile/mitarbeiter/dr-thilo-lang), where he is also the Head of the Department.
Please follow the Centre for Innovation Research (https://www.linkedin.com/company/centre-for-innovation-research/) and the RegInno Podcast (https://nettop.guru/wordpress/category/reginno/) for other episodes.
#RegInno_Podcast
Episode transcription (https://podcast.uis.no/media/SIF/2026_0312_1619.pdf)
17 Apr 2026
Boundary Objects, Policy Transfer, and Sustainability Transitions
In this episode, we talk with Matias Ramirez about sustainability transitions, transformative innovation policy, and why innovation policy cannot simply be transferred from one context to another. We discuss uncertainty, complexity, boundary objects, policy transfer, and the differences between innovation and transformation in the Global North and Global South. The conversation explores how policy ideas travel, how they change across contexts, and why transformation often emerges from society, not just from policymakers.
Here you also have the opportunity to add links to websites:
Find Andy on the University of Sussex (https://profiles.sussex.ac.uk/p213810-matias-ramirez), Google Scholar (https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=fHIx3MYAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao) and LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/matias-ramirez-b77a89303/)
Please follow Centre for Innovation Research (https://www.linkedin.com/company/centre-for-innovation-research/) for other episodes.
Transcript of episode. (https://podcast.uis.no/media/SIF/2026_0305_0928_Master.pdf)
15 Apr 2026
Choosing Directions: Innovation, Power, and Transformation
In this episode, we talk with Andy Stirling about one of the most overlooked questions in innovation: direction. Not just how innovation happens, but who decides where it goes and which alternatives are ignored. We discuss the difference between directing innovation, the direction of innovation, and directionality – the idea that there are always multiple possible technological futures. The conversation explores innovation roadmaps, power, democracy, sustainability transitions, and why innovation is never purely technical, but always political.
Find Andy on the University of Sussex (https://profiles.sussex.ac.uk/p7513-andrew-stirling) and Google Scholar (https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=2hecKxEAAAAJ&hl=en).
Please follow Centre for Innovation Research (https://www.linkedin.com/company/centre-for-innovation-research/) for future episodes.
Transcript of episode. (https://podcast.uis.no/media/SIF/2026_0219_0954_MASTER.pdf)
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