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What Do We Know about the University Contribution to Regional Economic Development? A Conceptual Framework

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  • Thomas Brekke

Abstract

There are a rapidly growing number of scientific studies analyzing the role of university and higher educational institutions in regional economic development. In this study, the author reviews the rapidly growing body of research streaming out of the geography of innovation and knowledge with particular attention to the period from 1994 to 2019. The author discusses several seminal contributions on the role of universities in regional economic development and then applies a systematic literature review to the extant research of 193 articles. This literature review offers a conceptual framework by identifying four key topics found in the literature: organizational capacity, intermediaries, knowledge dynamics, and policy.

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  • Thomas Brekke, 2021. "What Do We Know about the University Contribution to Regional Economic Development? A Conceptual Framework," International Regional Science Review, , vol. 44(2), pages 229-261, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:inrsre:v:44:y:2021:i:2:p:229-261
    DOI: 10.1177/0160017620909538
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    18. Michaela Trippl & Tanja Sinozic & Helen Lawton Smith, 2015. "The Role of Universities in Regional Development: Conceptual Models and Policy Institutions in the UK, Sweden and Austria," European Planning Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 23(9), pages 1722-1740, September.
    19. Harald Bathelt & Dieter Kogler & Andrew Munro, 2011. "Social Foundations of Regional Innovation and the Role of University Spin-Offs: The Case of Canada's Technology Triangle," Industry and Innovation, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 18(5), pages 461-486.
    20. Anne Miner & Yan Gong & Michael Ciuchta & Anthony Sadler & John Surdyk, 2012. "Promoting university startups: international patterns, vicarious learning and policy implications," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 37(2), pages 213-233, April.
    21. Zvi Griliches, 1998. "Issues in Assessing the Contribution of Research and Development to Productivity Growth," NBER Chapters, in: R&D and Productivity: The Econometric Evidence, pages 17-45, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    22. Rikard H. Eriksson & Fredrik Forslund, 2014. "How Do Universities Contribute to Employment Growth? The Role of Human Capital and Knowledge Bases," European Planning Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 22(12), pages 2584-2604, December.
    23. Paul Benneworth & Rómulo Pinheiro & James Karlsen, 2017. "Strategic agency and institutional change: investigating the role of universities in regional innovation systems (RISs)," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 51(2), pages 235-248, February.
    24. Attila Varga (ed.), 2009. "Universities, Knowledge Transfer and Regional Development," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 4250.
    25. Aykut Lenger, 2007. "Regional Innovation Systems and the Role of State: Institutional Design and State Universities in Turkey," European Planning Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 16(8), pages 1101-1120, January.
    26. Maribel Guerrero & David Urbano & Alain Fayolle & Magnus Klofsten & Sarfraz Mian, 2016. "Entrepreneurial universities: emerging models in the new social and economic landscape," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 47(3), pages 551-563, October.
    27. Peter Sunley, 2008. "Relational Economic Geography: A Partial Understanding or a New Paradigm?," Economic Geography, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 84(1), pages 1-26, January.
    28. Peter Arbo & Paul Benneworth, 2007. "Understanding the Regional Contribution of Higher Education Institutions: A Literature Review," OECD Education Working Papers 9, OECD Publishing.
    29. Lee, Young Hoon & Kim, YoungJun, 2016. "Analyzing interaction in R&D networks using the Triple Helix method: Evidence from industrial R&D programs in Korean government," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 110(C), pages 93-105.
    30. Rachel Parker & Damian Hine, 2014. "The Role of Knowledge Intermediaries in Developing Firm Learning Capabilities," European Planning Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 22(5), pages 1048-1061, May.
    31. Joshua Drucker, 2016. "Reconsidering the Regional Economic Development Impacts of Higher Education Institutions in the United States," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 50(7), pages 1185-1202, July.
    32. Agrawal, Ajay & Cockburn, Iain, 2003. "The anchor tenant hypothesis: exploring the role of large, local, R&D-intensive firms in regional innovation systems," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 21(9), pages 1227-1253, November.
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    Cited by:

    1. Nils Grashof & Holger Graf, 2023. "Universities that matter for regional knowledge base renewal - the role of multilevel embeddedness," Jena Economics Research Papers 2023-009, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena.
    2. Chu, Shuai & Wu, Mengfei, 2021. "Does the geographic clustering of universities promote their scientific research performance? Evidence from China," GLO Discussion Paper Series 963, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    3. Emanuela Marrocu & Raffaele Paci & Stefano Usai, 2022. "Direct and indirect effects of universities on European regional productivity," Papers in Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 101(5), pages 1105-1133, October.
    4. Juan Carlos Martínez-Torres & Jaider Vega-Jurado, 2022. "El impacto de los agentes intermediarios en el proceso de cooperación para innovar: el papel moderador del tamano de la empresa," Estudios Gerenciales, Universidad Icesi, vol. 38(162), pages 2-16, March.
    5. Zhenshan Yang & Yinghao Pan & Dongqi Sun & Li Ma, 2022. "Human Capital and International Capital Flows: Evidence from China," International Regional Science Review, , vol. 45(1), pages 74-107, January.
    6. Cai, Yuzhuo, 2023. "Towards a new model of EU-China innovation cooperation: Bridging missing links between international university collaboration and international industry collaboration," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 119(C).

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