Abstract This chapter argues that the type and nature of human agency existing within cities and regions at particular points in their development are significant factors explaining the capacity of these places to achieve economic transformation and renewal. In particular, it seeks to set notions of entrepreneurial human agency within wider and emerging theories of regional economic renewal and transformation. It is suggested that, while the configuration and capability of economic ecosystems—which are conceptualized through notions such as clusters, innovation systems, and industrial districts—determine regional development outcomes, at the micro level it is the role played by certain key human agents within regions that actually shapes the nature and evolution of these ecosystems. In other words, human agency is considered to be a primary driver associated with economic development and transformation, and should be viewed seriously when addressing the routes available to economically mature and underdeveloped cities and regions in their bid to foster renewal and transformation.
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