How can the capacity for creating and exploiting knowledge in the context of Regional Innovation Systems be developed as a means to constructing regional advantage? This Hot Topic addresses this question, in reviewing policies and developments in Japan and South Korea. As well as explaining approaches to regionalism and innovation in these two countries the paper also invites reflection on how these East Asian approaches compare, and what they mean in particular for the countries of Europe and North America.

Social cohesion depends on building bridging social capital. This Hot Topic paper asks what role schools can play in building it. Could co-location and other forms of collaboration between schools in different sectors and other public and private providers help to build bridging social capital and to increase the cohesiveness of communities?