https://doi.org/10.5771/0935-9915-2017-2-149 Generiert durch Gerd Grözinger, am 06.06.2018, 16:53:23. Das Erstellen und Weitergeben von Kopien dieses PDFs ist nicht zulässig. Gerd Grözinger, Marlene Langholz-Kaiser, Doreen Richter * Regional Innovation and Diversity: Efects of Cultural Diversity, Milieu Ailiation and Qualiication Levels on Regional Patent Outputs ** his paper explores the relationship between regional labour market characteristics and innovation outcomes in the Federal Republic of Germany. In particular, we use regressions to determine how the composition of the regional population – in terms of their human capital endowments, their cultural diversity and their milieu ailia- tion – inluences patent activities. We also test diferent spatial units in our models to establish which regional level is more appropriate for our analysis. Key words: regions, innovation, patents, milieus, diversity (JEL: O31, R10, R19) Introduction Regions are complex constructs with internal linkages and cooperative relationships that create unique conditions for successful business activities. Since irms do not create innovations isolated from their environment, it is important to consider re- gional conditions that inluence the choice of options available at the individual and at the irm level. herefore, regional analysis is of high relevance for researchers as well as for political actors (Grözinger & Matiaske, 2010). Regional innovation capability is a concept that emerges from the interplay of actors located within the region and providing for the structure of regional competitiveness. Whilst the importance of human capital for economic development is widely agreed upon in growth economics (Lucas, 1988; Mankiw, Romer, & Weil, 1992), other dimensions have received less attention. As a result, our research deals with additional regional labour market characteristics and their inluence on the innova- tion output of regions. Empirical studies on the relationship between cultural diver- sity and innovation remain scarce, but are increasingly becoming relevant due to the demographic developments in industrial nations. Our irst research question relects on the efect of cultural diversity on the innovation output in German regions. Our * Prof. Dr. Gerd Grözinger, Europa-Universität Flensburg, Auf dem Campus 1, 24943 Flens- burg, Germany. Email: groezing@uni-lensburg.de. Marlene Langholz-Kaiser (M.A./M.Sc.), Europa-Universität Flensburg, Auf dem Campus 1, 24943 Flensburg, Germany. Email: marlene.langholz-kaiser@uni-lensburg.de. Doreen Richter, TWT GmbH Science & Innovation, Oskar-Schlemmer-Straße 11, 80807 München, Germany. Email: doreen.richter@twt-gmbh.de. ** Article received: June 17, 2015 Revised version accepted after double blind review: February 13, 2017 Regional Innovation and Diversity 149 mrev, 28 (2) 2017, 149 – 174 DOI: 10.5771/0935-9915-2017-2-149