Conceptualizing the Role of Geographical Proximity in Project Based R&D Networks: A Literature Survey

Empirical evidence shows that research is being carried out more in cooperation or in collaboration with others, and the networks described by these collaborative research activities are becoming more and more complex. This phenomenon brings about new strands of research questions and opens up a different research context in the area of geography of innovation. The recent set of literature addressing these new issues shows a high degree of variation in terms of focus, approaches and methodology. Hence to elucidate the relationship between networks and geography it is crucial to have a review them. In this regard, this study focuses on a particular type of networks, namely, project based R&D networks and aims at describing the state-of-the-art in explaining the specificity of geography in formation and evolution of such networks. Towards this aim, we framed the discussion along four lenses: the specificity of geography in partner choice, in successful execution of the collaboration, in the resulting innovation performance both at the organizational and regional level, and the spatio-temporal evolution of networks. The overview provided by the survey is suggestive regarding the theorization of geography and network relationship, and informative regarding the issues demanding further research effort, and promising extensions.

R&D Productivity and the Organization of Cluster Policy: An Empirical Evaluation of the Industrial Cluster Project in Japan

Industrial clusters have attracted increasing attention as important locations of innovation. Therefore, several countries have started promotion policies for industrial clusters. However, there are few empirical studies on cluster policies. This paper examines the effects of the “Industrial Cluster Project” (ICP) in Japan on the R&D productivity of participants, using a unique dataset of 229 small firms, and discusses the conditions necessary for the effective organization of cluster policies. Different from former policy approaches, the ICP aims at building collaborative networks between universities and industries and supports the autonomous development of existing regional industries without direct intervention in the clustering process. Thus far, the ICP is similar to indirect support systems adopted by successful European clusters. Our estimation results suggest that participation in the cluster project alone does not affect R&D productivity. Moreover, research collaboration with a partner in the same cluster region decreases R&D productivity both in terms of the quantity and quality of patents. Therefore, in order to improve the R&D efficiency of local firms, it is also important to construct wide-range collaborative networks within and beyond the clusters, although most clusters focus on the network at a narrowly defined local level. However, cluster participants apply for more patents than others without reducing patent quality when they collaborate with national universities in the same cluster region.Industrial cluster; University-industry partnership; Small and medium enterprise; R&D; Patent

The knowledge economy : increasing human capital on the U.S. I-65 corridor.

In economics, the term growth often refers to the increase in economic activity between two points in time. Within the context of the United States of America, the language of growth has permeated beyond just economics and into other societal institutions due to spillover. As a result, growth is not just an economic term but rather a part of the culture of capitalism which impacts every area of society. The dissertation using growth machine theory and the global cities literature examines how in the knowledge economy, cities play a growing role in mediating the supply and demand for post-secondary attainment. The research recognizes that as the knowledge economy expands, cities, states, and nation states will look for new channels of meeting a precondition for growth: human capital. The study examines 58 cities and finds a great divergence taking place between high and low attainment cities in the United States. Additionally, the dissertation examines three case study cities on the U.S. I-65 interstate corridor: Indianapolis, Louisville, and Nashville. The case studies examine how and why cities are working to raise the percentage of their populations with a college degree. Findings show that cities are working to raiseattainment for the purposes of: economic development, economic competitiveness, and individual empowerment. To meet attainment goals each city’s human capital system works to develop, retain, and attract individuals with at least a post-secondary degree. Additionally, the research discusses the long-term implications of using growth and competition as a rationale for increased higher educational attainment. In conclusion, the study questions and recommends future research on the changing purpose of higher education in the United States

Global Research Report – South and East Asia

Global Research Report – South and East Asia by Jonathan Adams, David Pendlebury, Gordon Rogers & Martin Szomszor. Published by Institute for Scientific Information, Web of Science Group

Spillovers and proximity in perspective: a network approach to improving the operationalisation of proximity

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Measurement and Explanation of the Intensity of Co Co-publication in Scientific Research: An Analysis at the Laboratory Level

In this paper we study networks of academic researchers on an aggregated laboratory scale. We propose a measurement of the intensity of cooperation between laboratories, and attempt to account for its intra- and inter-town variations in relation to a number of characteristics: geographic distance between laboratories, specialization of laboratories, size of their scientific community, productivity, quality of their publications and international openness. Cooperative relations are identified on the basis of data on co-publication. These data concern French physicists from the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), between 1992 and 1997.

Role of external knowledge flows in cluster upgrading: an empirical analysis of the Mirandola biomedical district in Italy

The paper analyses the role of external knowledge flows in the upgrading of the biomedical district of Mirandola, Emilia-Romagna region, in Italy. The district produces two types of products, namely disposables and electromedical machines, and the paper considers this second production type. The Mirandola district has been able to maintain a relatively good competitive position. The paper shows that while all firms in this sector in this region tend to have fairly good performance in terms of size and revenue growth, a significant difference exists in terms of innovation performance. Firms in the Mirandola district produce more patents and more scientific publications. From a methodological point of view, negative binomial regressions are made on the determinants of patenting and publishing activity by firms. Two major factors seem to explain the superior performance in terms of innovation. First, the significant role of the leader firms in the district. Second, linkages external to the district, namely relationships with research centres (universities in particular) located not only in the region but also in the rest of the country and abroad. The importance of external relations and institutional diversity (in terms of variety of institutions collaborating in scientific publications), appear to grow over time.Innovation; Upgrading; Industrial districts; Biomedical sector

The spatial embeddedness of multi-national enterpises' research activity: a bibliometric analysis

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