Boundary work in the regional innovation policy mix: SME digital technology diffusion policies in Wales.

This article focuses on the role of boundary work—a form of agency practice involving the creation, maintenance, and disruption of policy instrument boundaries—in managing the regional innovation policy mix, specifically within digital technology diffusion policies for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Wales, UK. Through a case study of the Superfast Broadband Business Exploitation (SFBE) programme (2014–2020), it demonstrates how policymakers, businesses, and civil society actors engage in boundary work to address tensions and synergies among overlapping multilevel policy instruments. The findings highlight boundary work as a dynamic, multi-actor, and multi-scalar process that supports policy coherence and legitimacy but also faces challenges due to the complexity and evolving nature of regional innovation policy mixes. The study suggests that proactive boundary work by designated roles such as Partnership Managers and Advisory Panels can help mitigate duplication and foster alignment, though full coherence may not always be achievable.