Translating in practice: On the role of translation in entrepreneurial discovery processes in Norway

Abstract

The article examines a key component of regional smart specialisation strategy, namely the entrepreneurial discovery process (EDP) and how it unfolds in three regions in Norway. The authors seek to understand the interpretation and operationalisation of the EDP by conducting a constructivist thematic analysis of regional strategy documents and associated material in Rogaland, Vestland, and Nordland. They find that while similarities exist in the use of the EDP, the regions differ markedly across several key dimensions, most notably the interpretation of the EDP and its implementation across the regions. To have a better understanding of these differences in a region’s EDP, they propose the integration of translation theory with more conventional theoretical approaches on understanding regional policy differences. The authors shed light on the diffuse understandings of the EDP in practice across regions, thereby providing richer evidence of how the interpretations can differ considerably even within one country, and they conclude that this indicates the relevance of translation theory for future regional comparative studies of smart specialisation.