Chapter 6 - The Innovative Territory.

Summary This chapter analyzes the innovation processes and their relationship with the territorial dimension that concerns public policies, as demonstrated by the scientific literature and several recent reports on this context. The economic literature dedicated to innovative territorial systems emphasizes the fundamental role played by territory and proximity in the actors' collaborations. The coordination of actors relies on other factors besides their mere co‐location, since organized proximity refers to collective norms and common codes in terms of communication, which stabilize the system of relationships and make it possible to collaborate. In reality, there are very few examples of clusters working according to the ideal model that combines geographic proximity and organized proximity. Silicon Valley remains an emblematic example of this type of organization, but a few regions have managed to successfully replicate this model. At present, the ecological or techno‐ecological transition is significantly questioning the very foundations of the society.