Science is affected by local interaction: Participants tend to cooperate
with their neighborhood, where neighborhood can refer both to regional
nearness and proximity in other dimensions. The goal of the BMBF
research project REGIO is to accomplish a better understanding of the
impact of geographical and thematic proximity on the creation and
success of interaction in science and R&D. The leading hypothesis is
that the occurrence of research associations and successful regional
innovation clusters implies the cumulation of scientific expertise in a
geographical region. Which attributes and constellations of protagonists
contribute to the occurrence and success of cooperations?