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Parent universities and the location of academic startups

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  • Stephan Heblich
  • Viktor Slavtchev

Abstract

Academic startups are thought to locate in their parent university’s home region because being in the vicinity of a university provides cost advantages in accessing academic knowledge and resources. In this paper we analyze the importance of a different mechanism, namely, social ties between academic entrepreneurs and university researchers, for enabling and facilitating the access to academic knowledge and resources, and therefore for the location of academic startups. We employ unique data on academic startups from regions with more than one university and find that only the parent university influences academic entrepreneurs’ decisions to stay in the region while other universities in the same region play no role. Our findings suggest that the mere local availability of a university may not per se guarantee access to knowledge and resources; social ties are additionally required. The importance of social ties implies that academic knowledge and resources are not necessarily local public good. This holds implications for universities’ role in stimulating regional development. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media New York 2014

Suggested Citation

  • Stephan Heblich & Viktor Slavtchev, 2014. "Parent universities and the location of academic startups," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 42(1), pages 1-15, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:sbusec:v:42:y:2014:i:1:p:1-15
    DOI: 10.1007/s11187-013-9470-3
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    3. Guido Buenstorf & Dominik P. Heinisch, 2020. "Science and industry evolution: evidence from the first 50 years of the German laser industry," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 54(2), pages 523-538, February.
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    5. Martin Hemmert & Adam R. Cross & Ying Cheng & Jae-Jin Kim & Florian Kohlbacher & Masahiro Kotosaka & Franz Waldenberger & Leven J. Zheng, 2019. "The distinctiveness and diversity of entrepreneurial ecosystems in China, Japan, and South Korea: an exploratory analysis," Asian Business & Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 18(3), pages 211-247, July.
    6. Maximilian Goethner & Michael Wyrwich, 2020. "Cross-faculty proximity and academic entrepreneurship: the role of business schools," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 45(4), pages 1016-1062, August.
    7. Francisco Javier Miranda & Antonio Chamorro & Sergio Rubio, 2018. "Re-thinking university spin-off: a critical literature review and a research agenda," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 43(4), pages 1007-1038, August.
    8. Wachyu Hari Haji, 2018. "Determinants of Work Motivation and It's Implication on Performance of Permanent Lecturers of Private Universities with Accreditation Institution A in Kopertis Region III," International Review of Management and Marketing, Econjournals, vol. 8(6), pages 8-14.
    9. In Hyeock (Ian) Lee, 2022. "Startups, relocation, and firm performance: a transaction cost economics perspective," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 58(1), pages 205-224, January.
    10. Stefan Marc Hossinger & Xiangyu Chen & Arndt Werner, 2020. "Drivers, barriers and success factors of academic spin-offs: a systematic literature review," Management Review Quarterly, Springer, vol. 70(1), pages 97-134, February.
    11. Matthias Piontek & Michael Wyrwich, 2017. "The emergence of entrepreneurial ideas at universities in times of demographic change: evidence from Germany [Die Entstehung von Gründungsideen und neuen Unternehmen in Zeiten demografischen Wandel," Review of Regional Research: Jahrbuch für Regionalwissenschaft, Springer;Gesellschaft für Regionalforschung (GfR), vol. 37(1), pages 1-37, February.
    12. Larsson, Johan P. & Wennberg, Karl & Wiklund, Johan & Wright, Mike, 2017. "Location choices of graduate entrepreneurs," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 46(8), pages 1490-1504.
    13. Maribel Guerrero & David Urbano, 2014. "Academics’ start-up intentions and knowledge filters: an individual perspective of the knowledge spillover theory of entrepreneurship," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 43(1), pages 57-74, June.
    14. Michael P. Ciuchta & Yan Gong & Anne S. Miner & Chaim Letwin & Anthony Sadler, 2016. "Imprinting and the progeny of university spin-offs," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 41(5), pages 1113-1134, October.
    15. Oscarina Conceição & Ana Paula Faria, 2014. "Determinants of research-based spin-offs survival," NIPE Working Papers 21/2014, NIPE - Universidade do Minho.
    16. Julie Vardhan & Madhuri Mahato, 2022. "Business Incubation Centres in Universities and Their Role in Developing Entrepreneurial Ecosystem," Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Emerging Economies, Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India, vol. 8(1), pages 143-157, January.
    17. Broström, Anders & Baltzopoulos, Apostolos, 2013. "Higher education experiences and new venture performance," Working Paper Series in Economics and Institutions of Innovation 321, Royal Institute of Technology, CESIS - Centre of Excellence for Science and Innovation Studies.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    University startups; Academic startups; Location choice; Social proximity; Spillovers; M13; L20; R30;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • M13 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Business Administration - - - New Firms; Startups
    • L20 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - General
    • R30 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Real Estate Markets, Spatial Production Analysis, and Firm Location - - - General

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