Tom Brökel

Tom Brökel is Professor in Regional Innovation at the University of Stavanger Business School, Norway, and is associated with the Center of Regional and Innovation Economics at the University of Bremen, Germany. He is affiliated with the UiS School of Business and Law, specifically within the Department of Innovation, Management and Marketing. His research and teaching focus on innovation, economic geography, and network analysis.

His research interests include:

• Geography of Innovation
• Regional Innovation Systems
• Technological and Skill Complexity
• Social Network Analysis
• R&D and Innovation Policy
• Renewable Energy and Sustainability Transitions
• Smart Specialization Strategies
• News Media as Big Data for Regional Science

Tom Brökel's recent publications reveal a strong thematic focus on the interplay between technological complexity, regional economic growth, and innovation policy. His work frequently employs network and spatial analysis to study regional diversification, co-patenting dynamics, and the diffusion of innovation. He has developed novel methodologies using news media and press releases as data sources to assess regional economic sentiment and innovation visibility.

His scientific contributions have been published in high-impact journals such as Research Policy, Technovation, Regional Studies, and Journal of Economic Geography. He actively collaborates with scholars across Europe, particularly on topics related to smart specialization, regional transformation, and green transitions.

Notable scientific contributions include:

• Analysis of urban scaling of innovation across global cities
• Long-term evolution of technological complexity and its impact on economic growth
• Role of relatedness in regional job creation
• Impact of R&D subsidies on technological diversification
• Use of media narratives to understand public perceptions of wind energy

Brökel regularly presents at international conferences such as RSA, ERSA, and Geography of Innovation. He is involved in research dissemination, policy advising (e.g., for Rogaland County), and public engagement. He has no listed PhD students in the provided text, but he supervises research projects and collaborates widely. He is not part-time, not retired, and currently active in both research and teaching.