Delocalisation patterns in University-Industry interaction: Evidence from the 6th R&D Framework Programme

Increasing university-industry interaction (UII) and university contribution to the local economy are compatibleconventional wisdom would say. However, similar to other university activities, interaction with industry may be limited due to a lack of absorptive capacity in local firms. The data of those participating in the European Union's (EU's) Sixth R&D Framework Programme (FP6) were used to obtain values for the number and, notably, the budgets of UII projects at the regional level for the EU27. Two types of interactions were considered: inside and outside the region. Our analysis indicates that universities from regions whose firms have low absorptive capacity participate more often in FP6 projects with firms outside the region. Our results highlight the value of policies that facilitate firm R&D to enhance collaboration with regional universities.Azagra Caro, JM.; Pontikakis, D.; Varga, A. (2013). Delocalisation patterns in University-Industry interaction: Evidence from the 6th R&D Framework Programme. European Planning Studies. 21(10):1676-1701. doi:10.1080/09654313.2012.722949S16761701211

Leveraging knowledge as a competitive asset? The intensity, performance and structure of universities’ entrepreneurial knowledge exchange activities at a regional level

© 2016, The Author(s). Universities are no longer considered to be isolated islands of knowledge, but as institutions increasingly engaged with a range of external partners through entrepreneurial activities. This paper examines the associations between the intensity and performance of knowledge exchange activities undertaken in UK universities with non-academic actors. Drawing on data concerning the structural factors of interactions of universities in the UK with external partners, the paper sheds further light on the nature of these activities through a prism of competitive and uncompetitive regions in order to better understand how universities may be able to leverage both their knowledge and partnerships more effectively as competitive assets. On the one hand, it is found that academics in uncompetitive regions are more intensively engaged in entrepreneurial activities but generate less income from them than their counterparts in competitive regions, suggesting that there are differences in the income-generating capacity of academics across regions. On the other hand, academic knowledge is found to be more strongly bounded within a certain distance in uncompetitive regions whilst geographical distance seems less of a hindrance to academics in competitive regions

El equilibrio entre actividades interactivas y no interactivas de los profesores universitarios

17 pages, 3 tables.[EN] We develop a model of individual choice in which faculty member maximises a utility function. We find an interior optimum of interactive effort that depends on parameters of the utility function, wage, net revenue from interactive activities, relative weight given to interactive activities in the determination of prestige and knowledge contribution by interactive activities. The model is tested econometrically by using a sample of 380 university professors from the Valencian Community, a Spanish region. Individuals respond to nonmonetary rather than monetary incentives and to the difficulty of producing non-interactive rather than interactive knowledge. We detect the possible existence of rationing, since optimum effort and real interaction depend on different variables. Policy initiatives may see the promotion (or disincentive) of university-industry interaction as a medium-long term target rather than a short-term one and may be aware of situations arising from rationing.[ES] Se desarrolla un modelo económico de elección individual en el que el profesor universitario maximiza una función de utilidad. Se obtiene un óptimo interior de esfuerzo interactivo que depende de los parámetros de la función de utilidad, el salario, los ingresos derivados de las actividades interactivas, su ponderación en la determinación del prestigio y su contribución al conocimiento. El modelo se contrasta econométricamente utilizando una muestra de 380 profesores de la Comunidad Valenciana, una región española. El profesor responde más a incentivos no monetarios que a monetarios y a la dificultad de producir conocimiento no interactivo frente a interactivo. Además, es posible la existencia de racionamiento, ya que la interacción deseada y la real difieren. Las iniciativas de política podrían plantearse la acción sobre la interacción universidad-empresa como un objetivo a largo plazo y la detección de situaciones que se derivan de un posible racionamiento.Peer reviewe

The allocation of effort to university- industry interactive activities by faculty members: a theoretical and empirical approach

8 pages, 4 tablesWe develop a model of individual choice in which faculty member is the rational agent and maximises a utility function. We find an interior optimum of interactive effort that depends on parameters of the utility function, wage, net revenue from a unit of knowledge produced by interactive activities, relative weight given to interactive vs. non-interactive activities in the determination of prestige and knowledge contribution by unit of time allocated to each activity. The model is tested by using a sample of 380 university professors from the Valencian Community, a Spanish region. We use censored and discrete choice econometric models to estimate an equation for the optimum effort allocated to interactive activities and another one for the real interaction. We conclude, first, that interaction activities could be explained by a maximising utility model and that individual responds to non-monetary rather than monetary incentives and to the difficulty of producing non-interactive rather than interactive knowledge. Second, we detect the possible existence of rationing, since optimum effort and real interaction depend on different variables. This is possibly an idiosyncrasy of our sample, coming from a region with low absorptive capacity. Policy initiatives may see the promotion (or disincentive) of university-industry interaction as a mediumlong term target rather than a short-term one and may be aware of situations arising from rationing.Peer reviewe