Creating the technopolis: High-technology development in Austin, Texas* 1 (original) (raw)
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Sustaining The Technopolis: High-Technology Development in Austin, Texas
2013
Update and elaboration of the 1988 Journal of Business Venturing article "Creating the Technopolis: High-Technology Development in Austin, Texas" which emphasized the role of key influencers, institutions and networks that made possible Austin's extraordinary technology-based growth. Elaborates the "Technopolis Wheel" framework to better reflect challenges and opportunities as well as review lessons learned during the past 25 years. While new aspects have emerged an unchanging, fundamental reality is that the "magic" of the Austin Model continues to be based on 1st-and 2nd-level influencers-key leaders and visionaries from academia, business, and government networking and working together to achieve targeted objectives.
Sustaining the Technopolis: The Case of Austin Texas
In "Creating the Technopolis: High Technology Development in Austin Texas," Smilor, Kozmetsky, and Gibson (1988) make the case that in the mid-1980s Austin was becoming a globally competitive high tech region. Indeed over the years and into 2013, Austin has established its reputation as a leading entrepreneurial and technology center and "talent magnet." Delegations from across the US and worldwide visit Austin to better understand how this central Texas city went from being a state government and university town to become a fast growing, globally competitive, technology hotspot leading the state and nation in job creation. Central to the concept of the Triple Helix and Technopolis Frameworks is the importance of university, business, and government cooperation. This paper gives examples of mechanisms, processes, and metrics on how The University of Texas at Austin; regional technology industry; federal, state, and local government policies; and support groups al...
The launch and evolution of a technology‐based economy: The case of Austin Texas
Growth and Change, 2019
This paper uses the lens of institutional theory to explain the launch and evolution of Austin, Texas's technology-based economy. The case underscores the importance of context, contingency, and the evolution of key local development organizations in explaining how regional economic development trajectories can change and evolve. The case history provides insights into how economic development networks form and operate to "set off" processes of industrial specialization and agglomeration and how they can promote successful adaptation to change in technology and industrial structure. The Austin story further suggests a "stage" process of regional technology-based evolution where the development of industrial agglomerations linked to a substantial local research base is seen as a necessary precursor to increasing endogenous innovation and start-up activity. Successfully navigating these stages is bolstered by the formation of institutions and networks that are durable, strategic, and adaptive, and which, at the right time, recognize and support entrepreneurial firm development to help sustain technology-based growth. How to cite this article: Gibson D, Oden M. The launch and evolution of a technology-based economy: The case of Austin Texas.
The Austin/San Antonio Corridor: The Dynamics of a Developing Technopolis
1987
Examination of the factors contributing to the development of the Austin/San Antonio corridor as a high-technology center in the years 1945-1986. The paper uses a conceptual framework called the Technopolis Wheel, which identifies seven segments as fundamental in regional high-tech growth: university, large and small technology companies, state-local-and federal government, and support groups (e.g., chambers of commerce). The major contribution of the paper is its emphasis on using multiple data sources to measure the relative importance of these segments. It concludes with case studies of Microelectronics and Computer Technology Corporation (MCC) in Austin and the biotechnology sector in San Antonio.
Technological Forecasting and Social Change
This study uses institutional theory and the "Technopolis" wheel to investigate the movement of technology entrepreneurs and why they "stick" to well-established entrepreneurial ecosystems in Silicon Valley, Austin, Boston, and New York City. We detail the historical development of the entrepreneurial ecosystem in each location, with a particular focus on the institutions and support structures that link and sustain key resources that are central to technology clusters. We operationalize key segments of the Technopolis wheel including (1) networks and connectedness, (2) investment capital, and (3) innovation and R&D. The empirical analysis specifies models testing for location-specific variation in the influence of these factors on entrepreneur location choice. We supplement this with analysis of interview data from 45 technology entrepreneurs with direct experience in these locations. We find that higher degrees of connectedness in Austin and Silicon Valley are an important factor in retaining potential entrepreneurs and several institutions were linked to facilitating tie formation and accessing key resources within the Technopolis. We also find that the frequency of funding opportunities positively influences entrepreneurs moving to Austin, Boston, and Silicon Valley to immediately start a company. In Boston, we find a positive association between patents and staying in Boston to launch a startup and we find that older entrepreneurs living in New York and Silicon Valley are less likely to remain and start a company.
2007 Annual Conference & Exposition Proceedings
Technopolis communities are sprouting up all over the world and are creating a profound impact on global economic landscapes. Today's global economy can be characterized by increasing globalization, heightened interdependency and the emergence of a new paradigm of regional, institutional and technological clusters which facilitate innovation and its commercialization called the "Technopolis Phenomenon". This paper reviews research done on creation of Technopolis communities and highlights exemplary best practices from Technopolis communities around the world such as Silicon Valley,
Overview of US incubators and the case of the Austin Technology Incubator
International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation Management, 2003
Business incubators have a 25-year history in the US. Today they number more than 800. Most are non-profit entities, many associated with universities. This article provides a general overview of business incubation in the US and provides a case study of the award-winning Austin Technology Incubator whose companies have generated over $1.4 billion in revenues and created some 3,000 jobs. The authors conclude that business incubators must accomplish five tasks well in order to succeed: (1) establish clear metrics for success; (2) provide entrepreneurial leadership; (3) develop and deliver valueadded services to member companies; (4) develop a rational new-company selection process; and (5) ensure that member companies gain access to necessary human and financial resources. Dr. Wiggins' current responsibilities include all aspects of incubator operations, planning, expansion, company recruitment and staff management. He also provides strategic direction in making the Incubator an 'experiential learning laboratory' where students, faculty, and global researchers can study high-tech entrepreneurship. Dr. Wiggins has also directed the student development programs of the incubators, coordinated the Institute's community relation activities in the university and local communities, and provided consulting services for the ATI companies. Dr. Wiggins holds a PhD in Communication from The University of Texas at Austin where he received numerous awards including a University Fellowship and the Jesse H. Jones Endowed Centennial Fellowship from the College of Communication.
The University-centric High-tech Cluster of Madison, United States
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This chapter shows the central role played by the university in promoting economic development, innovation and knowledge across the region. The initiatives of the national and regional governments to spread the outcomes of the university to the regional economy are well illustrated in this chapter. The case of Madison, Wisconsin, also illustrates the various efforts made by the university to encourage commercialisation, licensing and technology transfer from the university to industry. With the support of related bodies such as the alumni association, the faculties and the technology transfer bureau, the University of Wisconsin Madison shows that universities can also play an important role in linking innovations to venture capitalists and industry, in stimulating the creation of spin-offs, and in facilitating the identification of the market for new products.
The Role of Universities in Shaping the Evolution of Silicon Valley’s Ecosystem of Innovation
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Universities play a unique role in ecosystems of innovation. They interact with the other agents of the Triple Helix model, developing their functions in relation to each other and together with industry and government. Grounded in key conceptual frameworks—Triple Helix, Regional Innovation Systems and Entrepreneurial University—we analyze how the leading universities in Silicon Valley (UC Berkeley, Stanford and UC San Francisco) have evolved, adapting to new demands and, in turn, shaping the evolution of Silicon Valley. To do so we use quantitative and qualitative data and examine the changes occurring between 2007 and 2018. A close examination of the data from this period reveals an increased attention to entrepreneurship education and an intensified activity of technology transfer offices. Equally relevant are the increased interactions between universities and investors (business angels, Venture Capital funds and corporate investors), and the improvement of specific infrastructu...