Abstract
The regional development trap concept has been introduced to identify regions that get caught in sustained patterns of low economic growth. However, an evolutionary take on regional development traps is still lacking. Balland and Boschma (2024) proposed such an evolutionary concept of regional traps in which self-reinforcing dynamics make regions follow specific trajectories that may favor but also limit their capacity to innovate and develop new growth paths. We outline some critique on other concepts of regional traps, we present key features of their evolutionary framework, and we discuss implications for Smart Specialization policy and future research avenues.