This book has a long and complex history. Already in the late seventies, the IKE-group at Aalborg University began to integrate a French structuralist approach to national systems of production with the Anglosaxon tradition in innovation studies, in order to explain international competitiveness. This ‘new combination’ is reflected in the concept national systems of innovation which is at the centre of the book. The first sketches to the book, which date back to 1986, were specifically oriented towards the problems of small national systems of innovation (Andersen and Lundvall, 1988), but gradually we realised that the process of internationalisation and globalisation has made all countries ‘small’, and this is reflected in the final design of the book.

At several stages of the project, the Danish Social Science Research Council has given its financial support. The Research Committee, Aalborg University has funded some of the activities while our department, Institute for Production, has been consistently supportive both financially and administratively. We gratefully acknowledge the patience of these funding institutions.

During the long process, many people have commented on the general outline and on drafts of chapters at workshops and seminars. In particular, we would like to thank Carlota Perez for her often very critical but still supportive comments, at the early stage of the project, and Cristopher Freeman who is not only a co-author, but also has given us invaluable advice all through the process.