Academic versus corporate new technology-based firms in Swedish science parks: an analysis of performance, business networks and financing (original) (raw)
Related papers
Science park effects in Sweden: dimensions critical for firm growth
International Journal of Public Policy, 2006
A model to explain and predict relative performance among new technology-based firms is useful to government and regional authorities. In Sweden, science parks new technology-based firms stand out as a special group of small firms in terms of performance (Growth: sales and employment). This paper proposes a model for analysing growth (resources and capabilities) to produce technological innovations and economic performance. Firm strategy is an important outcome of firm processes, and it has been shown to be critical for firm performance. For science park firms and entrepreneurship, the most important latent constructions were technological innovation, risk and proactiveness. However, the firms are in different stages. Three incubation stages were then developed. There is a need for a better understanding of the NTBF's development process (and other processes: innovation processes, diffusion processes, etc.) before making an approach as to whether the incubation function can be made more effective.
Technovation, 2006
This paper aims to highlight the role of facilities management (FM) for new technology-based firms (NTBFs) that are located on respectively off Science Parks. It incorporates FM as a contributory background element in the enhancement of the entrepreneurial environment, which is one explanatory factor of the superior performance and growth of NTBFs located inside Science Parks. Differences in location preferences between on and off park NTBFs are brought into evidence in this paper by means of an extensive quantitative survey. This resulted in the finding that the proximity to university is especially significant among NTBFs inside parks. Furthermore, infrastructure has high significance in both groups whereas significance of facilities cost differs in range of significance. In a model it is argued that FM indirectly contributes to beneficial scenarios for interaction, interfirm relations and networks that can be found particularly in Science Parks. A discussion and a set of hypotheses in the conclusive part link FM and location issues to the performance for NTBFs.
Science parks and business incubators: the Portuguese case
2007
Science Parks (SP) and Business Incubators (BI) have been established all over the industrialised and developing world as a pledge for economic development. Although in economic theory, location of R&D is not a critical variable for its diffusion and technology adoption, it is widely accepted that the daily eye-to-eye contact is crucial for the establishment of networks and partnerships. The present paper is based on a survey of all Portuguese SPs and BIs. Despite being rather similar in their basic characteristics, it is still possible to distil some lessons and critical variables for the success of each infrastructure: quality of management and effectiveness of university links are seemingly the most important features to distinguish SPs and BIs and compare their performance. Finally, we transform the distilled lessons in assessment criteria and propose a tentative typology to better describe and sort the SPs and BIs in Portugal.
2013
Purpose:The main purpose of this study is to analyse the role of intellectual capital management in the development of third stage science park. Assuming intellectual capital as the main resources in R&D activities the paper tries to deconstruct concept of incubation in order to reshape the boundaries of science park activities in a cluster perspective. Design/methodology/approach: The first part of is based upon an interdisciplinary literary review and wants to clarify the theoretical model and operative hypothesis. The second analyse the case of Bioindustry Park Silvano Fumero and its IC service platform as an example of innovative business model for business incubation. Findings: Working at IC level permits to develop service platform based on systemic needs and offer the opportunity to develop shared added value services performance. It also obliges science parks to work more out of their boundaries because of the need for knowledge heterogeneity and network. In particular incubation doesn't end in promoting startup, but goes beyond physical boundaries of the park and involves the construction of intangible infrastructure in order to generate opportunity at cluster level.
Science parks: economic engines or a real estate concept
2009
Given the increased importance of knowledge as a production factor in many companies it is not surprising that there is a growing interest in the development of science and technology parks. These parks often have a high quality. The question comes up whether a science park is a real estate concept or an 'engine' that stimulates the exchange of information and innovation. Research results (mainly in the United Kingdom) suggest that for entrepreneurs the importance of proximity to other firms and universities is limited when it comes to strategic knowledge. Being established on a science or technology park can nevertheless be interesting for firms: a stimulating informal circuit can occur and, moreover, the proximity of a university offers possibilities to attract young talent. With regard to attracting people in a labour market that will become more and more stressed in the coming decade, the high quality of the buildings and environment of a science park can be of importance. In that light a science park could be a real estate concept rather than an engine for innovation. If such a high quality development will have success attention has to be paid to, among others, location, market and target group identification, management and customer orientation. In this paper I will elaborate these ideas and I will present the results of research on two science parks in the Netherlands. Are these parks of importance for the regional economy (linkages, innovation) or are science parks mainly a real estate concept?
Science and technology parks provide modern infrastructural mechanisms for transferring academic research findings, generating knowledge spillovers, and catalyzing regional and national economic growth. Therefore, these parks enable the flow of knowledge, ease access to valuable resources and innovations, and foster cooperation among tenants. Reviewing previous literature we found that the effect of science park infrastructure on the performance of related firms has not conclusive findings and this divergence can be interpreted as main studies are not including the value generated through interorganizational social interactions. This study uses the concept of social capital to analyze how science and technology parks facilitate the generation of goodwill and resources that firms gain from their relationships with other economic agents in the park. Within this theoretical approach the paper proposes a model for understanding how science and technology parks create a valuable infrastructure for generating such social benefits. Finally, the paper suggests a theoretical model to examine sources, substance, contingencies, and value creation at the firm level.
The role of organisation structure in the success of start-up science and technology parks (STPs)
Knowledge Management Research & Practice
Early stage start-up STPs, have a central initiative controlling the decisionmaking. In early maturity, better decision-making is required and decisions are best taken with the input of optimally two on-cluster firms; this ambidextrous situation is superior under all circumstances. Where poor-fit innovations abound and where the STP has been unable to attract large firms, retaining a hierarchical decision process is most helpful, even when the quality of decisionmaking is poor. This developmental trajectory will lead to market failure as size, and the seriousness of the concomitant potential losses, increases. With time, off-cluster firms move outward, inhabiting a band 4-7 km from the STP; their size remains modest and their innovation output is low. On-cluster firms are resilient to externalities; their innovation output is large and strongly correlated with social/networking expenditure. These new results are reviewed here as a contribution towards a "road map" to help STP decision-making and regional policy.