Sharing a common resource in a sustainable development context: The case of a wood innovation system

This case study of the Aquitaine wood filiere emphasizes the need to integrate a stronger consideration of natural resources in the analysis of innovation systems. The analysis focuses on eight eco-innovation projects representing the Aquitaine wood filiere, and carried out under the aegis of the Industries and Maritime Pine of the Future 'competitiveness cluster.' We show that dependence on the wood natural resource can configure the limits, objectives and expected performance of such innovation systems. While previous approaches have considered similar innovation systems from territorial, sectoral or technological perspectives, we argue that centering the analysis on this natural resource better enables consideration of the technological and environmental tensions and risks that are likely to destabilize the system. (C) 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.