Sotarauta, Markku (Sente)

Markku holds the Chair of Urban Competitiveness and Strategic Development at the University of Tampere, and he is Director of the Research Unit for Urban and Regional Development Studies. He specialises in strategic thinking, urban economic development, network management, core competence thinking and leadership in promotion of regional and urban development. He has published widely (in Finnish, English, Polish and Swedish) on these topics. Markku is especially interested in how a new more communicative, interactive and processual way of generating new urban strategies, innovation and knowledge based regional economic development is applied in various city regions and how the development processes are managed.

Markku holds administrative and advisory functions at the University of Tampere and beyond. He is a member of the Faculty Council at the University of Tampere, Faculty of Economics and Administration (1999-2000); Chairman of the Finnish Society for Local Government Research and Planning (1996-); member of the board of the Finnish Futures Society (1997-2000). Markku has also received the Future prize for his doctoral thesis (awarded by Finland Futures Society). In early 2002 he received a nomination for the Docentship in Tampere University of Technology. He has consulted for most of the Finnish cities and regions in strategic development and has also acted as an adviser in the reorganisation of strategic industrial policymaking in Hokkaido, Japan.

Selected Publications:

• Sotarauta, M. and Linnamaa, R. (2001) Urban Competitiveness and the Management of Urban Policy Networks. In Technology, Society and Environment 2/2001. Helsinki University of Technology, Laboratory of Environmental Protection Publication. Espoo.

• Sotarauta, M. (2001) Leadership and influence in the municipalities: Right persons in right combination. Teoksessa Sotarauta, M. and Majoinen, K. (eds) Kunnat virtaavassa maailmassa: Kuntien haasteet globaalissa verkostoyhteiskunnassa. Suomen Kuntaliitto. Helsinki.

• Sotarauta, M. (2001) Network Management and Information Systems in Promotion of Urban Economic Development: Some Reflections from CityWeb of Tampere. European Planning Studies. Nro 6.

• Sotarauta, M. and Lakso, T. (2000) Change managenment and creative tension: A study of promotion of development in Kainuu region. Suomen Kuntaliitto Acta-sarja 132. Helsinki.

• Kostiainen, J. and Sotarauta, M. (eds.) (2000) Cities as innovative environments. Tekniikan akateemisten liitto. Helsinki.

• Sotarauta, M. (ed.) (1999) Urban Futures: A Loss of Shadows in the Flowing Places? Futura Vol. 18, No 3.

• Sotarauta, M. (1999) In Search of Strategic Consciousness and Using Plans as Mirrors: The Case of Raisio Town. Sociedade e Território. Nro 29. pp 16-35.

• Sotarauta, M. & Linnamaa, R. (1998) The Finnish Multi-Level Policy-Making and the Quality of Local Development Policy Process: The Cases of Oulu and Seinänaapurit Sub-regions. European Planning Studies. Vol. 6, No 5. p. 505-524.

Kautonen, Mika (Sente)

Mika is a Research Fellow at the Research Unit for Urban and Regional Development Studies and at the Work Research Centre's Research Unit for Science, Technology and Innovation Studies, both in the University of Tampere, Finland. Recently he was in charge of a large research project Networks, Innovation Milieus and Regions, 1998-2001, which was funded by the National Technology Agency of Finland (Tekes) and which investigated firms' innovation environments and regional innovation policies in Finland. Mika has participated in several international comparative research projects, among which is Regional Innovation Systems: Designing for the Future, under the TSER Programme of the European Commission. He has more than 30 publications related to his research interests in regional innovation systems, innovation processes and networks, and innovation policies. He has also consulted several national and regional authorities in these issues.

Selected Publications:

• O'Gorman, C. & Kautonen, M. (forthcoming). Policies Promoting New Knowledge Intensive Agglomerations. Submitted to Entrepreneurship & Regional Development. 36 pp.

• Kautonen, M., Koski, P. & Schienstock, G. (forthcoming). From the National Industrial Heartland Towards a Node in Global Knowledge Economy. In Schienstock, G. (Ed.) Catching up and forging ahead. The Finnish success story. Edward Elgar, London. 22 pp.

• Schienstock, G., Kautonen, M. & Koski, P. (forthcoming). Escaping Path Dependency: The Case of Tampere Region, Finland. In Cooke, P. & Heidenreich, M. (Eds.) Regional Innovation Systems. 2nd Edition. UCL Press, London. 20 pp.

• Kautonen, M., Kolehmainen, J. & Koski, P. (2002). Yritysten innovaatioympäristöt. Tutkimus yritysten innovaatiotoiminnasta ja alueellisesta innovaatiopolitiikasta Pirkanmaalla ja Keski-Suomessa [in English: Firms' Innovation Milieus. A Study on Firms' Innovation Activities and on Regional Innovation Policies in Tampere and Central Finland Regions]. Tekes, Teknologiakatsaus 120/2002. Helsinki.

• Kautonen, M., Schienstock, G. & Tiainen, M. (1999) Knowledge-intensive Business Services - Their Role and Development in the Tampere Urban Region. In Schienstock, G. & Kuusi, O. (Eds.) Transformation Towards a Learning Economy. The Challenge for the Finnish Innovation System. SITRA, Helsinki.

• Kautonen, M. (1996). Emerging Innovative Networks and Milieux: The Case of the Furniture Industry in the Lahti Region of Finland. European Planning Studies, Vol. 4, No. 4, pp. 439-456.

Kolehmainen, Jari (Sente)

Jari is a researcher at the Research Unit for Urban and Regional Development Studies. He has M.Adm. Sc. in regional studies and he is also studying industrial management in the Tampere University of Technology. Jari's doctoral dissertation is in prepation and its theme is the regional dimension of knowledge-intensive branches. Digital media agglomeration in Tampere provides an empirical case for the study.

Before joining the Research Unit for Urban and Regional Development Studies, Jari worked at the Work Reseach Centre / Research Group for Science, Technology and Innovation Studies in University of Tampere, and he is still an associate member of the group. His research interests cover the following topics: firms' innovation activities, regional agglomerations and innovation environments, urban and regional economic development, regional and local business development and innovation policies and branches of ICT and digital media.

Selected Publications:

• Kautonen, M., Kolehmainen, J. & Koski, P. (2002) Yritysten innovaatioympäristöt: Tutkimus yritysten innovaatiotoiminnasta ja alueellisesta innovaatiopolitiikasta Pirkanmaalla ja Keski-Suomessa [in English: Firms' Innovation Milieus. A Study on Firms' Innovation Activities and on Regional Innovation Policies in Tampere and Central Finland Regions]. National Technology Agency Tekes, Technology Review 120 / 2002. Helsinki.

• Kautonen, M. & Kolehmainen, J. (2001) Näkökulmia oppivan talouden alueelliseen innovaatiopolitiikkaan. [in English: Perspectives on the Regional Innovation Policy in the Learning Economy]. In Sotarauta, M. & Mustikkamäki, N. (eds.) Aluekehittämisen kahdeksan elementtiä. The Association of Finnish Local and Regional Authorities, Acta No. 137. Helsinki.

• Kolehmainen, J. (2001) Yritykset ja alueet tietointensiivisessä globaalitaloudessa: kilpailukyky kohtalonyhteytenä. [in English: Firms and Regions in Knowledge-Intensive Global Economy: Competitiveness as a Community of Fate.] Publication Series of the Research Unit for Urban and Regional Development Studies, 12 / 2001. Tampere.