Abstract

This paper deals with the globalisation process and with the tensions between national, supernational and subnational forces it entails. A taxonomy is put forward in order to examine the question at different levels, distinguishing aspects of ‘techno-territoriality’, ‘techno-sovereignty’, ‘technocitizenship’ and ‘techno-nationality’, pertaining to, respectively, geographical borders, governance structures and policy making, strategic behaviors and accountability, sociocultural distances and spaces. The analysis of some of the massive contributions on the issue shows that the first three items have actually reached a global specification, but without completely losing national or even more local characters. A different evaluation instead holds for techno-nationality, as a certain communality of language and culture within a country, along with its historically formed institutional setting, conduce to different technological styles and performances: ‘techno-national systems of innovation’ therefore still matter.