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Knowledge Transfers between Canadian Business Enterprises and Universities: Does Distance Matter?

Author

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  • Rosa, Julio M.

    (Statistics Canada)

  • Mohnen, Pierre

    (UNU-MERIT, Maastricht University)

Abstract

This study examines whether the transfer of knowledge flows from universities to enterprises in Canada is hampered by the geographical distance that separates them. The transfer of knowledge flows are measured by the amount of R&D payments from business enterprises to universities that are directly reported in Statistics Canada's survey on Research and Development in Canadian Industry. We use data from the 1997 to 2001 surveys. After controlling for unobserved individual heterogeneity, selection bias as well as for other covariates that could affect the extent of industry-university R&D transactions such as absorptive capacity, foreign control, belonging to the same province, past experience with a given university and other firm and university characteristics, it is found that a 10% increase in distance decreases the proportion of total R&D paid to a university by 1.4 percent for enterprises that do not report any codified transfer of knowledge flow, and by half as much for enterprises that report codified knowledge flows.

Suggested Citation

  • Rosa, Julio M. & Mohnen, Pierre, 2008. "Knowledge Transfers between Canadian Business Enterprises and Universities: Does Distance Matter?," MERIT Working Papers 2008-017, United Nations University - Maastricht Economic and Social Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (MERIT).
  • Handle: RePEc:unm:unumer:2008017
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    File URL: https://www.merit.unu.edu/publications/wppdf/2008/wp2008-017.pdf
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    Cited by:

    1. Davide Fantino & Alessandra Mori & Diego Scalise, 2015. "Collaboration Between Firms and Universities in Italy: The Role of a Firm’s Proximity to Top-Rated Departments," Italian Economic Journal: A Continuation of Rivista Italiana degli Economisti and Giornale degli Economisti, Springer;Società Italiana degli Economisti (Italian Economic Association), vol. 1(2), pages 219-251, July.
    2. Laura Abramovsky & Helen Simpson, 2011. "Geographic proximity and firm--university innovation linkages: evidence from Great Britain," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 11(6), pages 949-977, November.
    3. Rudkin , Simon & He, Ming & Chen, Yang, 2020. "Attraction or Repulsion? Testing Coagglomeration of Innovation between Firm and University," ADB Economics Working Paper Series 608, Asian Development Bank.
    4. A.A. Egbetokun & A.A. Adeniyi & W.O. Siyanbola, 2012. "On the capability of SMEs to innovate: the cable and wire manufacturing subsector in Nigeria," International Journal of Learning and Intellectual Capital, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 9(1/2), pages 64-85.
    5. Davide Fantino & Alessandra Mori & Diego Scalise, 2012. "Collaboration between firms and universities in Italy: the role of a firm�s proximity to top-rated departments," Temi di discussione (Economic working papers) 884, Bank of Italy, Economic Research and International Relations Area.
    6. Dirk Engel & Michael Rothgang & Verena Eckl, 2016. "Systemic aspects of R&D policy subsidies for R&D collaborations and their effects on private R&D," Industry and Innovation, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 23(2), pages 206-222, February.
    7. Azagra-Caro, Joaquín M. & Barberá-Tomás, David & Edwards-Schachter, Mónica & Tur, Elena M., 2017. "Dynamic interactions between university-industry knowledge transfer channels: A case study of the most highly cited academic patent," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 46(2), pages 463-474.
    8. Bettina Becker, 2013. "The Determinants of R&D Investment: A Survey of the Empirical Research," Discussion Paper Series 2013_09, Department of Economics, Loughborough University, revised Sep 2013.
    9. Ian Currie, 2011. "Government Policies to Encourage University-Business Research Collaboration in Canada: Lessons from the US, the UK and Australia," CSLS Research Reports 2011-02, Centre for the Study of Living Standards.
    10. Robert Huggins & Daniel Prokop & Piers Thompson, 2020. "Universities and open innovation: the determinants of network centrality," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 45(3), pages 718-757, June.
    11. Belderbos, René & Mohnen, Pierre, 2020. "Inter-sectoral and international R&D spillovers," MERIT Working Papers 2020-047, United Nations University - Maastricht Economic and Social Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (MERIT).
    12. A.A. Egbetokun & A.A. Adeniyi & W.O. Siyanbola & O.O. Olamade, 2012. "The types and intensity of innovation in developing country SMEs: evidences from a Nigerian subsectoral study," International Journal of Learning and Intellectual Capital, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 9(1/2), pages 98-112.
    13. Mowery, David C. & Ziedonis, Arvids A., 2015. "Markets versus spillovers in outflows of university research," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 44(1), pages 50-66.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    knowledge transfer; university-industry relationships; codified knowledge; tacit knowledge; spatial proximity;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • O31 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Innovation and Invention: Processes and Incentives
    • O33 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Technological Change: Choices and Consequences; Diffusion Processes
    • D83 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Search; Learning; Information and Knowledge; Communication; Belief; Unawareness
    • D85 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Network Formation

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