Dr Nick Clifton is Reader in Economic Geography and Regional Development at the Cardiff School of Management, UK. His main research interests lie in the fields of regional economics, small business and entrepreneurship, networks, business strategy, innovation and creativity. In particular, he is interested in how firms use networks to acquire knowledge and innovate, and the factors that influence the location choices of creative individuals.

Dr Stefan Gärtner has a Masters and PhD in Spatial Planning. Until 2001 he worked in a banking apprenticeship, undertaking consultancy work with a special focus on sustainability. He is a researcher at the Institute for Work and Technology, Gelsenkirchen, Germany, and his main research areas include regional economies, structural policy, banking and space and the impact and perception of spatial identities.

PD Dr. Dieter Rehfeld studied political science, modern history, psychology and sociology. He is a member of the Faculty of Social Sciences at the Ruhr University, Bochum, Germany, and heads the research department of Innovation, Space and Culture at the Institute for Work and Technology, Gelsenkirchen, Germany.